Victorious Hearts A Fire
by irshgirl
Summary: Cat and robbie's new relationship is tested over the summer as they face unexpected hurdles and a new bump in the road .
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer; Sadly I don't own Victorious or we would have a whole new season on the CW ala Roswell resurrection and TV movies .-

It was a sweltering , blistering 106 in Hollywood and a sure sign that it was most certainly summer and a almost cool 92 at Venice Beach prompting beck Oliver and his girlfriend Jade West to declare that it was a perfect day for the beach.

Hollywood Arts had been out for the summer for only a mere two weeks and the group of friends were still trying to figure out how to make the most of their summer.

Texts and phone calls were made as everyone was on board with the idea of hanging out together at the beach so Beck and Jade had hooked up his uncle's truck once more to his silver Rv picking up Andre Harris, Tori Vega, and Cat Valentine along the way .

Cat's boyfriend Robbie Shapiro was tutoring a North Ridge girl in the morning and he would meet them later on .

The beach was starting to get crowded as the gang carried their gear to the sand and found a spot to set up . While the guys dropped their cooler and surfboards on the ground, Cat and Tori went about laying out the colorful blankets while Jade lifted her shades to survey the waves. The water lapped and flowed with the waves looking inviting .

" Looks good out there, babe " Beck came up behind her, nuzzling her neck.

A smile slipped into a smirk as the dark haired beauty allowed herself a moment to relax against him. " So what are we waiting for, Beck ," commented Jade , " the big , bad ocean isn't going to come to us "

" I thought you were going to help set up things .." Beck motioned to the umbrella that Cat and Tori were debating on where to place it into the sand.

" Don't know why you thought that," remarked Jade ," Vega and Cat have that …they can manage ..barely , but they've got it covered "

Tori jammed the oversized umbrella into the ground and faced Jade . " Fine , just go, jade "

" Whatever ….." Jade kicked off her flip flops, discarded her denim shorts and black tank so that she was down to a sleek, sexy black bikini ," Beck, you coming or what ?"

She grabbed her own surfboard and ran out towards the water as her boyfriend let out a groan and grabbing his own raced after her . " Thought we were doing this together "

Andre chuckling at the couple's bickering and took a swig of water . " Think I'll wait to make sure they aren't gonna drown each other before I head out there "

He enjoyed the surf but he wasn't nearly as good as his friends were .

" I didn't think they were fighting as bad ….more like the good type of fighting " says Cat, taking her sunscreen out of her beach bag along with her pear phone .

Tori rolled her eyes," Their fighting doesn't seem half as mean since they got back together this time ," agreed Tori, shedding her shorts to her own bright blue tankini ," Cat ! Are you texting Robbie ? He will be here in a couple hours …..stop it "

Cat sent the message and pouted ," I know but Robbie says my texts always brightens his day. This North ridge girl he is tutoring tries his patience and you know, he has a lot of patience, Tori "

" Only with you, Cat " added Andre, stealing a sidelong glance at Tori . The blue suit did amazing things against her gorgeous skin and he had to keep reminding himself that they were no longer a couple.

Several months back a kiss between Tori and Beck had kicked their relationship in the gut causing Andre to break up with her. The kiss had been a mistake but Andre had a time forgiving both of them for it even though Beck had gotten back together with Jade .

Eventually , Andre and Tori had found a way to stay in each others lives and found a medium ground to friendship past the awkward .

Unfortunately , their problems hadn't done anything to dispel their feelings for each other or the electric current that still existed between them.

Both were coping with it in their own ways -pretending and avoidance .

" Robbie isn't here so you don't have to tease about him, Andre " defended Cat , smiling as she read the message that he had sent her back.

" Yeah, I do ," Andre couldn't resist as a pretty girl passed by him in a red bikini gave him the eye ," like getting you riled, Lil Red "

Tori sent the girl a look and turned to her former boyfriend. " Andre, " asked a hesitant Tori," you wanna go swim with me ? I'll race you…"

He met her gaze and studied her beautiful face and blew out a breath .

God, she was tempting !

It was just swimming but his mind was screwing with him and he was afraid of what an innocent swim with Tori could turn into .

Damn .

" Not right now ," managed Andre , finding his voice ," maybe in a bit. Think I'm going to go scope things ..out "

" You mean, watch girls?" brought up Cat, curiously .

" Yeah .." answered Andre and with a quick wave at the girls , he ambled over to the crowded volleyball court nearby and the assorted girls that surrounded it.

Peeved and a little hurt , Tori kicked her sandal towards Cat and moaned in distress, " Thanks a lot, Cat ! "

" Your welcome ," Cat folded her arms across her knees, " what did I do ?"

" Andre and those girls….grrrrr ! " Tori straightened up her towel , settled on her elbows and glanced out to where Andre was making his way among the group of bikini clad girls and tried to fight the slow stir of anger and the hurt that she still felt .

" Well, look at all those grunches hanging all over him ….and you know once he starts being all charming , it will be worse "

Cat giggled then caught herself ." I'm sorry, Tori, I know it isn't really funny but its mostly harmless. I don't think Andre has even flirted with any girls since you and he broke up and its been a long time cause Robbie and I have been together almost three months now …"

She couldn't remember a time before she and Robbie had fallen in love when she had been this happy . Her Mom said that he was good for her and Cat thought this was true .

Tori sat back up and tried to tamp down what she knew was jealousy . " I know," admitted Tori with a disgusted sigh ," guess he's making up for it now "

She knew she had no right to feel this way towards him still especially since it was mostly her fault in the first place but it still hurt .

Andre was handsome and charming ….and oh, he could turn a phrase to make a girl weak in the knees .

He could charm the pants off of any girl he wanted which is what bothered her and…oh man, she didn't even want to go there .

Put really bad images into her mind .

" Guess Andre can date , if he wants to date " admitted a disgruntled Tori," none of my business anymore …we're just friends "

Cat was sympathetic ," Ah, don't be sad ," says Cat ,softly ," you and Andre could always still get back together , Tori "

Tori shook her head." Too much has happened ," she said , a touch of cynicism in her tone ," we're not like you and Robbie or Beck and Jade. If we tried again ,it would just end in disaster and then this friendship we managed to salvage would be ruined "

" You don't know that , Tori " says Cat , checking her phone ," I think we should just relax and try to work on our tans . I want to go play in the water when Robbie gets here …I wish he would get here soon . "

" I still cant believe Robbie is tutoring in North Ridge," commented Tori, lifting up her sunglasses ," especially after what happened with Roxanne "

Robbie had dated Roxanne Morrison , a North Ridge snobby snob , before he and Cat had fallen in love . It had turned out that the girl had been using Robbie as an elaborate part of a plan to get revenge on Cat through him compliments of Tara Ganz and Haley Ferguson .

" It was just a silly threat ," dismissed Cat , not liking to discuss his mean ex-girlfriend at all ," she really didn't do anything to hurt Robbie's tutoring , Tori. Besides Robbie has been tutoring Mindee for a couple of years now …she isn't so smart to almost flunk summer school too. She pays Robbie really good and you know he is the best tutor .."

" Your not worried about Robbie spending time with another girl, Cat ?"

Cat's brown eyes widened in surprise ." No and he isn't spending time with her ," explained Cat , simply ," he is teaching her school stuff . Why would you say that , Tori ? Robbie is working …you know he tutors and he has even helped you and nothing went on there ! "

Tori leaned up on her elbows ." I'm sorry, Cat ," groaned an out of sorts Tori ," I shouldn't have said that. I don't know why I said that…Robbie loves you to death . I think with my parents separated and this whole counseling thing, I cant think straight still. "

Gosh, I've turned into Trina and she is me . That's scary ! "

" You should just stop worrying about all the bad stuff for a little while and enjoy the beach ," says a positive Cat ," why didn't Trina come ? I invited her …..Jade wasn't real happy about it but I thought she would have fun too "

" Trina's trying to find a summer job that is cool ," declared Tori," Dad put his foot down about her credit card spending since she graduated now and told her that she needs to be an adult . Except so far Trina hasn't found anything that is glamorous to do…."

" Why does it have to be glamorous ?" asked Cat , curiously .

" You know my sister ,' shrugged Tori," she would rather be a reality star than work in food service . Trina is trying to get noticed rather than just taking the job at Jet Brew so I don't know what kind of job she actually expects to find …."

" I don't actually understand that "

" Who does ?" agreed Tori, turning over so that she wouldn't burn and roast in the sun.

Just then Cat's phone went off and she quickly read the text , a warm smile crossing her lips .

One more hour and then I'm yours . Love you , Robbie .

Cat made a little excited noise and typed a response back to him with a hear tand some x and o's .

" Let me guess ," chimed in Tori ," its from Robbie again "

" Yes ," answered a smiley Cat ," he is the best boyfriend . Robbie is so …."

" Sweet ," repeated a bored Tori ," we all know how sweet he is and pretty sure he has gotten a million times sweeter since the two of you got together . I get the point, Cat "

" I really didn't have a point but if you don't want for me to talk to you about my relationship with Robbie , Tori, then I wont bother you anymore " Feelings hurt , Cat slipped on her shoes ," I'm going to go to the bathroom "

" Cat, I never meant I didn't want to hear about you guys " protested Tori but her friend wasn't paying her any attention .

" Maybe I should just let Jade drown me before I become my own worse enemy "

Meanwhile an hour away from the beach, Samantha Puckett and Freddie Benson had just gotten out of the Galaxy Con convention and were making their way hand in hand to the car. Freddie was still waxing with excitement over having met the all famous NUG-Nug and Sam listened with amusement as he prattled on in his nerdish way .

" This has been epic ," declared Freddie , " Shapiro is gonna freak when I tell him. I cant believe we managed to get tickets and Robbie didn't ..especially since the dude lives here "

" That's cause Mama knows people …." Sam leaned in to kiss him," and now that you've met the King Dork, take me for food . I'm starving and I think I saw a diner up the road …..I need some meat. That corn dog was hours ago…."

Freddie stopped to smile lovingly at her . " How about we get a burger to tide you over, babe ? Robbie and his friends invited us to meet them at the beach to hang and ..and I said we would meet up with them "

Sam rolled her eyes in disgust . " Freddie , man, why ? I've hung out with your nubbish friend and his weird girlfriend for 2 days already ….if it wasn't for the cake I would have beaten the girl with a butter sock "

Since their arrival in L.A., Sam and Freddie had met up with Cat and Robbie at the Olive Bargain for supper then Karaoke Dokee for some dancing .

Sam and Cat were pretty much opposites and tended to clash most of the evening as the redhead was super sensitive over every little thing which annoyed the blonde too death.

Robbie and Freddie had tried to keep the peace when Sam had started tossing out the insults which had made Cat want for them to leave .

It hadn't been a fun evening and she would have rather had her teeth yanked out .

" No butter sock on this trip ," warned Freddie ," you promised me "

" The ditz is sweeter than Carls ," argued Sam ," makes me wanna vomit and then beat her . No one can be that nice …..and she and the geek are gross "

" They are in love ," Freddie pulled her close ," like we are , Sam. So, what if Robbie and Cat are more affectionate than we are ….I think its nice ."

" You are such a girl " remarked Sam , but got pulled into the heated kiss he was giving her which made her lose her train of thought if only for a few seconds .

" They are my friends , Sam ," reminded Freddie , imploring her , quietly ," and I don't get to hang with Shapiro that often as it is . Come on, you like the beach and it will be fun …..Jade and Beck will be there . You two got along …."

" Scissor girl ? " recalled Sam, who had only met Jade once or twice before .

" Yeah ," answered Freddie as they climbed into his car ," why don't we get some hamburgers and fries and talk about it some more on the way "

Sam was reluctant ." I really don't want to spend the day with more of the puppet geek's strange friends "

" Will you at least do it for me ?"

She slid her gaze over to his handsome face and found herself weakening over his puppy dog eyes that he was giving her .

" Fine, whatever, but I want a shake and pie too " added Sam, as an after thought .

" Thank you " Freddie kissed her quickly ," if I buy you two desserts, will you try not to pick another fight with Cat ? Robbie said you hurt her feelings the last time …"

" She needs to grow thicker skin "

" Sam "

" I'll try but no promises ," agreed Sam ," now go before I die of starvation "

Freddie squeezed her hand and started to drive towards the aforementioned diner nearby .

Meanwhile back at the beach, Andre was trying to make time with a hot Briarwood girl by being as charming as he could and flashing his trademark smile but found that though the girl was clearly interested, he wasn't as into it as he should be.

He knew he should be over Tori by now but was finding that it wasn't so easy .

Andre resisted the urge to turn around and watch the brunette , who looked just gorgeous and hot in the simple blue tank suit .

It wasn't skimpy or flashy but then neither was Tori and as always he was struck by her beauty .

It really wasn't fair that the girl be that attractive .

Despite everything that had happened between them , the whole just hanging and staying friends thing with Tori wasn't really working for him.

Once he had done some serious thinking, Andre had forgiven Beck and Tori but with her folks having problems, she needed him and it was important that he be there for her .

They had mostly gotten through the awkwardness but now he was coming to realize he wanted more with Tori.

Andre knew they could never go backwards cause that wasn't a good idea at all but they could start fresh and new .

Beck and Jade were proof that it worked and Cat and Robbie had the new thing going fine .

He just didn't know if Tori was in the place just yet as she tended to still freak out over the weirdest things that never bugged her before and sometimes she just wasn't her normal Tori self, which had him worrying about her .

He didn't know how he would even go about bringing up the subject of them again without it making it seem like he was being pushy and insensitive towards her .

Hey Tor, I was thinking since we're better now," thought Andre to himself ,' how about we give us a take two ? I think we could work better this time '

He sighed and knew he just couldn't go up and say that to her .

Not yet and not now .

Andre would just let it sit for a while and let his feelings simmer till he could figure out if Tori still felt the same way for him as he did for her .

Robbie Shapiro weaved in and out of the crowded beach, brown eyes scanning the area for signs of his friends as well as that of his pretty girlfriend . Cat had sent him a text saying they were hanging out somewhere in the middle and she was wearing pink.

Cat had bought a bright pink bikini styled in a retro way that just suited her so much .

He spotted Cat's red hair against a bright pink and white blanket and moved towards her, blocking the sun from her .

" Oh the sun went out "

" Is this spot taken , miss ?"

Cat lifted her brown eyes and her face lit up with a bright smile lighting her face when she spotted her boyfriend standing in front of her .

" Robbie ! You're here ! " she leaped up from the ground , launching herself into his arms and holding on tight to his neck," I didn't think that you would ever get here ! "

Robbie laughed ," Sorry, sweetie , I did hurry but Mindee had questions then traffic from Galaxy Con was a big mess "

Cat brushed her lips over his, once , twice, a third time ." I just missed you "

" I missed you too, Cat " Robbie held onto her waist and kissed her hair.

Tori sat up and leaned around to speak to them. " Aw, we don't care ," remarked Tori, sarcastically ," you already told her that in a text, Robbie "

" Cat and I are very open and honest in our relationship, Tori," explained a matter of fact Robbie ," and we miss each other when we aren't together. "

" So the traffic from North Ridge was a mess ?" asked Tori , noticing that Andre was ambling back over towards them, alone .

Which made her feel just slightly better .

" Yes ," answered Robbie ," but I expected it to be . Gosh, I really wish I could have gone to the Galaxy con this year but I just didn't have the cash to go …."

He let out a sigh," There is always next year "

" I'm sorry, Robbie ," Cat kissed his cheek as she took his hand and led him to sit with her on the oversized blanket ," maybe I can get you tickets for your birthday next year "

Robbie kicked off his shoes and wrapped his arms around her ." Cat, the tickets are extremely expensive . Its sweet that you would want to do that for me but I wouldn't want you to….too much money "

" You do nice things for me all the time " muttered Cat, softly .

" I just think its too much ," replied Robbie, knowing that Cat did odd jobs like housecleaning, babysitting , house/dog-sitting to earn money . She didn't have the funds to be spending a ridiculous amount on something for him and he didn't expect her to .

" Hey Rob," greeted Andre, pulling a water from the cooler and tossing Tori one as well, " how did the tutoring go ?"

" Good ," explained Robbie ," Mindee passed the math course that I helped her with last semester but completely tanked English ." He shook his head ," She cant go vacationing with the girls to Cancun unless she passes the English tests that I give her . "

" That'd be a shame " chuckled Andre, taking a swig of the cold water .

" She really , really wants to go too ," went on Robbie ," she's doubled what she is paying me so I'm making really good money this year "

" Cool " nodded Andre , scanning the water for Jade and Beck, " whoa, look at that chizz ! Beck just wiped out ! "

" Oh ,he did ," commented Tori ," that still looks scary. I don't think I want to learn how to surf ….do the waves hurt ?"

" Just a little sting, Tor ," assured Andre ," you would be fine "

" I don't know ," hesitated Tori , noticing the strength and definition in his chest and arms and felt her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth ," not a fan of pain "

Their eyes locked and held ," I could teach you "

" I'll think about it ….." said a distracted Tori , picking up the lotion and handing it to him," you should put on sunscreen so you don't burn, Andre "

" Right ..sunscreen " Andre blew out a breath and thought maybe he needed to throw himself into the water .

He hoped like hell the water was freezing cold .

Cat played with the buttons of Robbie's shirt . " Tori and I have been tanning ," says Cat ," do you want to hang for a while cause I thought we could go play in the water ?"

Robbie rested his chin on her shoulder. " You smell like coconut "

" That's the lotion, silly " Cat pressed her nose against his ," take off your shirt and I will put some on you. I don't want you to burn, Robbie "

" I do look like a lobster when I burn …" said Robbie , removing his shirt and placing it on top of his girlfriends beach bag ," why don't we hang for a few minutes then we can hit the water "

" Kay kay " murmured Cat, pouring a small dollop of sunscreen in her hand, turning around in his arms, and tenderly rubbing the lotion on his shoulders ." I brought a Frisbee cause I thought that would be fun too "

" I enjoy the Frisbee " Robbie stole a kiss ," Mindee wanted me to tell you hello . She thought that my girlfriend was very pretty when I showed her the picture of us and told her about you, sweetie . "

" You told her about me and us ?" Cat paused , her hand on his chest .

" Roxanne had spread some ,er, well, nasty rumors around North Ridge about me after what happened ," went on Robbie , nonchalantly ," but I've been tutoring Mindee since she was a 7th grader so she didn't believe them. She asked if I finally had a nice girlfriend naturally I told her about you …"

" That was awfully nice of her " admitted Cat , pleased that not all North Ridge girls were mean ganks like Roxanne," I'm glad your not helping out a nasty girl , Robbie "

" Mindee is a little slow but she isn't a gank " assured Robbie ," and Mawmaw is in her grandmothers bridge club or canasta night . One of those clubs ….anyhow , how about we go swim, sweetheart "

Cat tossed the lotion on the blanket as Robbie took her hand and they ran together into the water .

" OOOhhhhhh soooo cold " squealed Cat, as the water splashed all around her .

" Thought you wanted to swim …." teased Robbie , grabbing her around the waist and lifting her up and running with her through the water .

" Robbie ! Put me down ! " giggled Cat , holding onto his neck ,' your crazy "

Robbie spun her around as the water splashed around them, getting them both wet .

" you wanted to play ! " Robbie stilled long enough to drop a kiss on her lips .

" Yeah ….still " Cat bent down , scooped up a handful of water and splashed him in the face , making him shake his head and making her laugh even harder .

" Caterina Valentine," declared Robbie , mischievously ," I am going to get you for that, sweetheart "

Cat giggled ," Catch me first, Robbie "

Blowing him a kiss, Cat ran through the water as Robbie tore off after her, catching her around the waist as they both went under the water , courtesy of a wave .

Giggling , laughing, and sputtering water, Cat touched the side of his face with her hand and wiped the water from his cheek . " I love you "

Robbie drew her into a deep kiss. " Love you too "

" Dorks " noted Jade as she and Beck passed their friends , surfboards tucked beneath their arms ," watch out for the jelly fish . Think I read somewhere they like pink …wouldn't want them to nibble your toes off, Cat "

Cat made a face and clung to Robbie ." Jade, they don't eat toes !"

" Only ones that are painted pink " tossed back Jade , teasing her as she and Beck rejoined Andre and Tori," hey when did rob get here ? We saw him and Cat doing their lame mushy stuff in the water already …." She tossed her board on the ground and accepted the water from Andre ," you guys catch the show ? Beck completely bit in out there …the waves kicked his ass. I saw an 8 year old little kid surf better than him "

" It looked rough out there " commented Andre , " things like this happen "

" Thanks, " Beck ran a towel against his hair, drying it and made a face at his girlfriend ," it was choppy out there , Jade . You were barely riding the waves as it was , I saw you paddling with your hands "

" Whatever, I don't care ," dismissed Jade ," I'm not the one who claims to be the Zen of all Surfer Gods, oh wise Beck "

" Will you give it a rest ?" asked Beck, tossing her a towel and kissing her , quickly .

" Is this a private fight or can anyone join in ? " demanded Sam, " cause I'd be happy to do some royal fizz -bin on one of you guys . New blood is always fun chizz …"

" No but I just sharpened my new scissors if you wanted a fight " quipped Jade, her red lips curving in a smile .

Her boyfriend gaped incredulously at her . " Babe, you bought scissors to the beach ?"

" You know I bring scissors everywhere " retorted Jade ," besides figured I'd need them if Vega got too annoying …snip here , snip there "

" Your threats don't bother me anymore " shot back a good -natured Tori .

" We didn't know you guys were still in town ," commented Andre, inviting them to grab some sand and sit ," figured you'd gone back to that cool weather in Seattle "

" Tonight ," told Freddie , putting his arms around Sam and felt her relax a bit ," Robbie invited us to come hang after Galaxy Con but I had to feed my woman first …"

" Nerd conventions make me hungry "

" Oh , that's the stupid convention that Robbie has been whining about for weeks " dawned Tori ," with the spaceships and the ganky woman in the skin-tight suit . Thank God, Cat found a way to distract him from his weirdness over that chizz …"

" It was awesome ," exclaimed Freddie , looking around for his friend ," where is Shapiro ? He is going to die when I tell him that Sam hooked me up so I could meet the one and only Nug -Nug …"

Beck nodded towards the sand where Cat and Robbie were walking hand in hand .

" I'll go get them before Cat decides she wants to bury Robbie in the sand or something "

Sam noticed the cooler with curiosity ." You got any food in there ?"

" We do ," answered Tori ," Cat made sandwiches and all kinds of stuff . I think she made cookies too ….but I thought you said you just ate "

" That was like 30 minutes ago ," commented Sam," toss me some cookies "

" Uh sure , glad to …." Tori opened up the cooler , found the baggie and handed Sam a few chocolate chip cookies ," so, how's everything going with icarly ?"

They didn't really know Sam and Freddie all that well but the dude and Robbie were friends . It was cool that they knew people that had a really successful web show .

" Good ," told Freddie , making conversation ," we left Carly and Gibby back home to deal with the show. I think they were going to rerun some vintage stuff till Sam and I got back …."

" Benson ! " greeted Robbie , rejoining them ," glad you made it . How was the Con ? Did you get in on the panels ? How much was that limited edition phaser ,dude ? "

Cat moved to stand beside her boyfriend and noticed the arrival of the couple .

" Hi '

" CatNip "

Cat bit the inside of her lip. " I'm not an animal "

" Thought you liked pet names and all that chizz ," Sam tried for polite ," had to listen to you and the nub the second call each other all kinds of sickening sweet things all the freaking night "

" I don't know why you have to be rude ,' countered Cat ,under her breath ," You can call your boyfriend whatever you like because that is your business but please don't call Robbie names . "

" My man and yours are both nubs ," pointed out Sam," it's the sad sorry truth that they are part of the same nerd army , Cat "

Cat held onto Robbie's arm and fought back her anxiety.

This girl always made her anxiety act up and she didn't much care for it or her .

" Cat , Sam ," replied a careful Robbie ," it would be really nice if we could all just get along and enjoy the day together . Without the insults and the hurt feelings … "

" Sam ?" Freddie stared pointedly at her .

" I was being …..nice " warned Sam, " don't push me, Benson "

Cat pressed her face into Robbie's arm. " We were having such a good time , Robbie "

Robbie kissed her nose . " Sam is only slighter meaner than Jade ," told Robbie , quietly ," and you and Jade are good friends . Just ignore her , cutie "

" Jade isn't evil "

Jade settled into the crook of Beck's arms and took offense . " Hey, Cat ," interrupted jade ," I am too sick and evil. Don't go giving the edge to Puckett - like a chizzin butter sock could hurt anyone . I made a freaking bonfire out of Rex ! "

" Jade ," hissed Beck, nodding towards Robbie ," why are you being horrible ? You promised not to mention what you did to the puppet after the funeral …."

Robbie blanched and stared at the dark haired girl. " Y..you burned him ?"

" What ? I took care of the puppet for you " defended Jade ," dudes never coming back again ..really never . I was helping you, Rob , doing you a big favor "

Cat glared at her . " Jade ! You weren't supposed to tell him ! "

" Then don't be making me seem goody goody ," tossed out Jade ," that's you "

" I think now would be a good time for us to have some food " interrupted Andre , before the girls decided to have a chick fight or a throw down or some fighting .

" I could use food " agreed Tori, accepting a sandwich from him, grateful .

After the sandwiches and veggies were passed out , Robbie and Freddie resumed their conversation about the Galaxy Con , much to the dismay of everyone else .

" The Con was awesome," explained Freddie in his element ," the panel rocked . You wouldn't believe what they let out that is coming up, dude . I don't even want to ruin it for you …its that EPIC. Not as epic as meeting Nug Nug was ..seriously , Sam got me in to meet him and he is freaking awesome . "

" You met the NUG NUG ? Dude , don't lie to me ? How did you manage ? "

Freddie smiled at his girlfriend and tightened his hold on her waist . " It was all Sam ," boasted a proud Freddie ," she has her ways which are awesome "

" I am "

" What about the phaser ? I have been watching three different ones on eBay for like sixth months but it always goes too high ," admitted Robbie ," last one went for like 800 bucks . I just couldn't afford to spend that much …"

" There was a replica for like 200 but it just doesn't look as good as the real thing "

" Oh God , " groaned Sam," I know where I can get you nerds a taser for 30 bucks "

" I have a taser " added Jade , red lips curving in a wicked smile ," look none of us really care about your dork party over here and I have news "

" Beck knocked you up for real this time …." chuckled Andre , avoiding Beck's glare and the vicious death stare that Jade was giving him, " so, still not funny "

" No "

" Have you guys heard about the Shakespeare Festival and the Emerging young talent competition that is connected to it ?" brought up Jade, pulling a flyer out of her bag and handing it to Tori to read .

" Is that the same festival that Lane and sikowitz were talking about ?" asked Andre

" Yea ," answered Beck ," it's a gathering where performers and fans alike can be a part of the festival by creating and performing a skit or a play . Jade and I have always wanted to act out some Taming of the Shrew together " He sent her a sexy smile ," Jade makes a good shrew …"

" OH, I can turn you into a shrew, Beckett " retorted Jade, sharply .

He ignored her .

" I've been trying to talk Jade into submitting Loves Lament ," explained Beck, pointedly ," its some of her best work and it is really good. The world needs to see how talented Jade West is and we could break it down to accommodate the rules of the contest "

Jade leaned back into his arms . " A road trip might beat the doldrums out of the summer ," said Jade , considering ," Harris, Vega, you guys be interested in being Roland and Ana ? It'd be cool to show the whole Morgana and Samuel love story with a witch and the moor and the daughter of the town mayor …what do you say ? "

" I'm cool with it " Andre stole a cautious glance at Tori and could see her wrestling with the decision ," and where are we going? Cause I love my grandma but I could use a vacation and my cousin is in town so sign me up…."

Tori bit her lip and felt all eyes upon her . " Mom has been wanting more family time ," brought up a weary Tori ," but I could really use a break. I just don't know if dad will let me go ..without adult supervision "

" It's Seattle , not Yerba ," retorted Jade , pointedly ," I'm staying with Beck in his Rv but you can get a hotel room, Vega. The guys are all 17 and I don't really think we need to drag Sikowitz along to keep us out of trouble this time ..unless your planning on getting thrown out of the festival for protesting the violence, Tori "

" Can you just ever give it a rest , Jade ?" asked Tori , seriously .

" No "

" What about me and Robbie ," brought up Cat in a small voice ," we want to go too "

" Sure , Cat, you want to make costumes ," said jade ," Rob, you do set dressing and like the lighting ? I was thinking you and Cat could do all the backstage stuff for me …"

" I can so do that ," enthused Cat ," yay! I am sooo excited now ! "

" Yuperdoo ," stated Robbie ," Cat and I will still have to ask but I don't foresee a problem. My father has been on this kick about me being more responsible since I'm almost eighteen and he never really had a problem with what happened when we went to Yerba "

" So, we've got like a week or so to get things lined out " told Beck ," and we can take my RV there ….."

Sam looked at her boyfriend . " Isn't that the talent thing t

hat Carly 's been yammering on about us doing some skit so it will look good on her college transcripts or some chizz like that ?"

" Think so," answered Freddie as Sam swiped the rest of his cookies from him," Robbie, if you and Cat are going to be in Seattle, you ought to come and hang with me and Sam while your there . We could show you around and it'd be cool …"

" Sounds like a plan , " agreed Robbie ," we could visit with you when we're not helping with the play. " He looked at his girlfriend ," Cat , what do you think ?"

Cat recognized the hopeful expression on Robbie's face and knew he was already looking forward to the idea of it and even though Sam wasn't her favorite person or anything , she couldn't say no to him. " Sure , Robbie, that sounds really fun "

Sam rolled her eyes ," Just what I've always wanted to do…"

" You could always stay at my place ," went on Freddie , working it through in his head ," and I bet if I asked Carly, she wouldn't mind if Cat stayed with her so that would save you guys the cost of having to get a hotel …"

" Would she mind if I stayed too ? " interceded Tori," Mom might be more okay with the idea if I had a better place to stay then Beck's Rv or a hotel …."

" I'll have to ask Carly but I wouldn't imagine it being a big deal or anything "

" Sure, Carly will appreciate you volunteering her apartment as Hotel Shay, Fredwardly "

" Oh, Carly wont mind " dismissed Freddie , knowing how good natured their friend was .

" Cool " grinned Tori," then sign me up too, Jade "

" Whatever, I'm bored now " Jade turned her head drawing Beck into a hot kiss and making Tori slightly uncomfortable as she avoided Andre's gaze and blew out a breath.

" I'm going to swim now " Tori ran into the water , restlessly .

Andre took another swig of water and wished it was something stronger . " Tori, wait "

Against his better judgment and his instincts, Andre followed after her into the ocean.

Robbie drew the bright pink towel across Cat's shoulders, gently rubbing the water from her as she leaned it to rest her head against his and gave him a soft smile.

" I'm sorry you missed your galaxy convention, Robbie "

" Those are the breaks but I'd much rather be here with my girl anyway " He dropped a light kiss on her nose ," you want to play some Frisbee now?"

" No," murmured Cat , leaning against him," how about ice cream?"

" Ice cream sounds good " declared Robbie, taking her hand and helping her up ," Freddie, Sam, you want to join me and Cat for ice cream ?"

Sam jumped up," I never turn down ice cream "

" Or food in general " quipped Freddie , " lead the way , Shapiro, then we really need to head back home . I don't want stuck driving in that insane L.A. rush hour traffic any longer than we have to be …"

" Bubble head, the cookies rocked ," Sam addressed Cat ," you make them "

Robbie squeezed Cat's hand and answered instead," My girlfriend makes the best chocolate chip cookies on the planet "

" Thanks, Robbie , and yes, I made them "

Sam met her gaze and nodded . " They were good "

" Thank you " says Cat , primly as they passed a group of college age guys hanging near a cabana listening to music and partying .

" OH my God ," spoke up a muscular , tall, dark, and handsome young man in red board shorts ," Cat ! Is that you ? "

Cat and Robbie stopped walking while Sam and Freddie hung back watching with mild interest.

" Uh, Cat, you know this guy ?" asked Robbie , self -conscience of his lack of muscles.

Cat stared at him. " Ummm, …I don't know ….oh, maybe "

" It's Nate ," he spoke up, flashing her a sexy grin," I know its been like a couple years and all but you hung out with me and my friends. Right here . We danced and I bought you a cherry frozen ice ….ring any bells ?"

" Oooooh, right , now I do know you " says Cat with a warm smile," hi "

Sam leaned forward ," He's hot ..did you date the dude ?"

" No " declared Cat , shaking her red hair ," we just hung out that one time "

" So you want to maybe hang out with me , Cat ? " asked Nate , " its just me but we could catch up and I could take you out afterwards "

Cat felt Robbie flinch and tugged on his shirt , urging him closer to her .

" No, I don't want to ," says Cat , always polite ," Nate , this is my boyfriend, Robbie "

" I'm Robbie " He extended a hand , determined to not be intimidated ," nice to meet you "

" Sure ," said Nate then he looked at Cat ," this geek is your boyfriend ?'

Cat cuddled up happily to Robbie . " Yes "

" See you around …" Nate turned and walked back to rejoin the rest of his party .

Robbie wrapped his arms around her waist . " So, one of the ..hot guys you hung out with while the rest of us were dying in Beck's RV ? "

" Uh , yes, and it was a long time ago, Robbie so don't be silly " Cat kissed him," or jealous . I was just being nice to him ….I'm with my fella "

" I know …." Robbie swung her hand ," how about I get you that ice cream now ?"

" Two scoops cause I was thinking chocolate and strawberry sounds really yummy "

" Can we share ?" asked Robbie , swinging her hand , playfully .

" Of course " Cat and Robbie began to walk towards the ice cream shop , together .

" Suzy sunshine and Robo the nerd make me want to beat them with sticks ," muttered an annoyed Sam, under her breath ," can we please buy me some ice cream so we can get out of here . We've spent time with your nerdy friend and now its time to leave , Freddie "

Freddie tugged on her hand . " Thanks for doing this for me, Mama "

Sam gave his polo a yank and pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss . " You can make it up to me ..later "

He grinned against her lips ," I will "

While Sam was gorging herself on ice cream , Freddie said their goodbyes to Robbie and Cat and making plans to be in touch soon regarding the potential Seattle trip, Benson and Puckett headed to his car for the trip back.

Tori cited that it was family supper night at her house and she needed to get back home soon so everyone packed it in and loaded into Beck's Rv once again except for Cat who was going with Robbie .

The day at the beach had been fun and now something new , different , and excited loomed ahead of them all for the rest of the summer and they couldn't wait . . .


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you really disappointed you missed your space convention, Robbie," Cat said cuddling into his side while he drove, "you looked sort of sad when Freddie was telling you about that Nug guy." She rested her head against his shoulder, "That was really generous of Sam to do that for her boyfriend …wish I could have treated you too." Her relationship with Robbie, even if it was new, had made her happier than she'd ever been and she wished, more than anything, that she could find a way to show him just how happy he'd made her.

"Cat, we talked about this" Robbie said, quietly, "I don't need or expect you to buy me expensive presents." He reached over and squeezed her hand, "And anyway, according to Freddie, Sam has all sorts of questionable contacts which, I'm sure, is how she managed such an awesome Con deal but you don't need to be thinking about blowing a couple hundred dollars on me. I can stream the footage on the computer …or my pear pad . It's fine, sweetheart"

"I know but you love your Galaxy stuff, Robbie" Cat pouted.

"So I'll start saving my money and maybe we can both go next year." he smiled, "I would much rather go with you anyway, Cat."

"How is you paying for the tickets any different than me buying them?"

"You need your money to live on through the summer and the school year." he answered, patiently, "I tutor all year round so I can afford to treat my girl. Besides" he said, looking down at her, "You work so hard to take care of the people around you. I want to be the one to take care of you."

"Well, if I want to buy you nice things, Robbie , then I will" Cat insisted, sitting up.

Robbie smiled and squeezed her knee. "I don't really want us to fight over this silliness. Are we really going to argue over this?"

"No, I don't like fighting either but I just feel bad about it."

"Well, don't," Robbie pulled into the driveway of her house, "I can go online and find all sorts of goodies fans are selling from the Con . Maybe we can do that tonight after I go see what Maw-Maw did to her coffeemaker this time ….."

"Watch old movies too" Cat added, "Jade found a bunch of old romantic comedies at that flea market she and Beck went to and she bought me like 5 of them."

Robbie exited the car and opened her door, taking her hand as they walked toward the house. "You could still go with me to my Maw-Maw's house, you know."

Cat frowned and stopped, slipping her arms around his neck. "She still hates me, Robbie."

" Maw-Maw doesn't hate you. Trust me Cat, she thinks very highly of you. I told you she was very happy when I told her that you and I were dating…"

Cat scrunched her nose up, doubtful . "I don't know, Robbie."

"Well I do, and I would love for you to come and keep me company." Robbie said, brushing a stray hair off of her face, "But I understand that you want to spend time with your brother."

Cat brightened at the mention of her brother. "Steven wants me to play basketball with him even though I'm really awful at it." she smiled, "His old buddies were rude and unfriended him so I'm sort of all he's got now."

"You should spend time with him," Robbie kissed her nose. "I'll come back around eight and we can watch those movies, okay?"

Cat pressed her lips to his in a deep, loving kiss just as her front door opened revealing a smiling Celia Valentine, who cleared her throat to make her presence known to the oblivious teens.

"Caterina, Robbie, I thought I heard you two out here" she said, stifling a laugh as the couple broke apart.

The couple blushed but Cat pressed herself against Robbie's side. "Hi Mom!"

"Hi Mrs. Valentine."

"Hello Robbie! It's always nice to see you." Celia ushered them inside the house, "Do you have time to come in for a bit? I need to speak with Caterina about something and I thought it might be helpful to her if you were here too ..."

"I don't understand, Mom" Cat's brow furrowed in confusion as she took a seat on the overstuffed cream colored couch. Robbie sat down next to her, "Is something the wrong? Robbie has to go help his Grandmother before he can come back for our evening plans…"

"I have plenty of time" Robbie said, reaching for Cat's hand. If Mrs. Valentine wanted him there the news must be serious. Whatever else he had to do could wait if Cat needed him. His stomach was suddenly turning in knots as he worried about Cat.

"Thank you, Robbie" said Celia. Sitting down on the loveseat opposite them she folded her hands in her lap and took a deep breath, "Well, Caterina, I wanted to have a talk with you about your brother."

Cat sat up in her seat, looking around the room. "Where is Steven? I didn't see him and Dad outside when we pulled up."

"Honey, your brother hasn't been doing so well lately," said a cautious Celia, "He's done some …questionable things lately. We tried to handle them, we didn't want to worry you but his behavior has become increasingly…well, inappropriate. I don't want to get into the details right now, it's probably better if you don't know..."

"Inappropriate? I don't understand, Mom. He was doing so much better on the new medicine and he even played chess with Robbie last week and Steven was alright …" She bit her lip and felt the anxiety build up again in her chest but felt Robbie lace their fingers together and she scooted closer drawing strength from his closeness. "Mom, please." She whispered, "Just tell me."

Celia reached out and put her hand on Cat's knee. "Bipolar is a difficult disease honey. Steven was doing okay for a while because the medication was working but now…now it's not working as well and…Steven had a lapse, honey. Your father and I felt it was for the best that he go back to the hospital for a while so they can help him," said Celia, worry etched across her forehead," I had hoped he was getting better this time but …sometimes these things happen."

" took him to the hospital?" Robbie asked.

"Yes." Celia answered with a slight nod. "It ..it wasn't something we wanted to do again, Caterina, but it was for ...everyone's safety and his own."

Cat felt tears well in her eyes and struggled with her own worry. "Steven would never hurt anyone, Mom. I know he wouldn't."

"I ..I don't want to think that he would either but right now," she sighed, "there's just no way to know for sure. Honey, we don't Steven to be away form us…we just want him to get better." she said softly, "And with new medication the doctors think he can get better. You can go see your brother once he is all settled in after a little while…"

Cat leaned against Robbie, pressing her face into his arm. "I hate it when he goes away."

Robbie wrapped his arms around Cat tightly and kissed her hair. "I know, sweetie, I know."

Just then the phone rang shrilly interrupting the somber mood. Celia looked between Cat and the phone, wanting to comfort her daughter, afraid that it was her husband and worried about her son as well. She decided perhaps Robbie was who her daughter needed now.

"Robbie, I need to take this," she said, standing, "stay with Cat?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Mrs. Valentine." Robbie assured her as she disappeared into the hallway to answer the telephone, leaving he and Cat alone .

Cat's lower lip trembled as she gave into the sobs that escaped her and cried for herself, her big brother, and her whole family . It was just so hard sometimes, knowing her brother was sick. Trying to be optimistic and strong for him – for all of them. She buried her face in Robbie's shoulder, grateful to have him. Robbie didn't say anything , just held her , stroking her hair , rubbing her back and pressing a kiss against her head until the tears subsided. She wiped at her eyes and held on to him, tightly.

"I thought it would be like old times this time. I thought he was getting better." murmured Cat, quietly, "Steven hadn't done anything weird or inappropriate for a couple of months, or at least that's what I thought. He's just been acting like my big brother and it's been so nice …"

"Maybe he just got immune to his medicine, Cat," Robbie, offered, hating to see her so distressed . He knew she had anxiety, mostly due to her family situation and her brother's problems and controversy upset her, "That does happen sometimes."

"But they kept it from me! Like I'm a baby who can't handle it! I hate secrets Robbie."

"Cat, your parents wouldn't make him go to the hospital again if they didn't think it would help him with his problems …."

"I love Steven," Cat said in a tiny voice, "He's the best big brother and he's always been good for me even when he was a little kooky in the head. Sometimes ...sometimes I just wish he was normal again and not…crazy."

"I like your brother," Robbie said, pulling her onto his lap as she toyed with the buttons on his shirt, "and I know that he loves you so much. He just has some problems and hopefully he'll be able to get better again."

"I hope so," Cat lifted her brown eyes to his, "sometimes, Robbie, I wonder if I have some of his crazy. Lane has helped me with a lot of my psychological problems over the years and he says that I'm not any more crazy than other kids our age but I hear what kids say about me at school….Cat's not so smart. Cat's nutty in the noggin."

"I don't know who is saying those things, sweetheart, but you shouldn't listen to them," reassured Robbie, lovingly, "that isn't true at all."

"That's easy for you to say. You're so smart and…I'm just me. Sometimes I wonder…"

"You wonder what honey?"

Cat lifted her face to his, tears glinting in her eyes as her lip trembled. "I wonder why you're with me. I'm not…not like you."

Robbie reached up and held her face gently in his hands, looking into her eyes. "Caterina Valentine don't ever let me hear you say a thing like that. You're amazing, and sweet and funny and talented and…a million other things! Why am I with you? Because I love you, and I'm the luckiest guy in the world because I get to call you mine." Cat opened her mouth to protest and he silenced her with a kiss. "Now please, let's stop worrying. Everything is going to be fine. We'll get through this…together."

Cat snuggled close, "You always make me feel better , Robbie."

He pressed a kiss against her forehead. "That's my job, Cat, making sure that you aren't sad or hurt "

Celia watched the young couple from the doorway, a warm smile on her face, and knew that her daughter was in good hands with Robbie Shapiro. He would take care of her baby girl and always protect her. She blew out a breath, gathered her composure and re-entered the room, pasting a smile on her face. "Sorry to interrupt" she smiled,  
"that was your Dad on the phone. He's going to stay for a bit with Steven and make sure that he settles in alright."

Cat bit her lip. "Can Robbie take me to see him tonight, Mom ?"

A tear slid down Celia's cheek and she shook her head. "I don't think so, Cat," Celia said, her voice cracking, "Maybe when he's a bit more himself and in a ...a different room it would be alright for you to go then. I just think right now isn't the best time …"

"He's in the white room again " Cat's voice was almost a whisper. She had been 12 the first time Steven had been taken to that awful room and it had given her nightmares for weeks worrying what her big brother was going through.

Celia nodded and moved to embrace her daughter.

"I should go." Robbie didn't want to invade on Cat spending some much needed time with her mom even though all he wanted to do was hold her all night and console her , "I should , um, let you and your Mom have some private time."

"You don't have to go, Robbie " insisted Celia, dabbing at her daughters eyes with a clean dishtowel, "I'm going to go busy myself with making supper ..or a cake until Henry gets home. It's much cheaper than therapy and I keep busy ….."

She gave Cat a hug then disappeared back into the kitchen, leaving Cat and Robbie alone.

Cat and Robbie stood and she took a step toward him, allowing him to fold her into his arms. "I don't want to intrude." He said.

"You aren't." Cat said, softly, "This is the …well, it's not the first time Steven has had to go to stay in the hospital. It's really hard on me and Mom but doing stuff helps …you could stay for supper. I could make us cupcakes."

"You know, I'll just call Mam-Maw and tell her I'll fix her coffeemaker tomorrow." He said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

"I don't want you to go ," admitted Cat , pressing her cheek against his shirt , "but I don't want to be clingy or selfish either . You made a promise to your grandma, Robbie , and she's looking forward to you coming over to help her."

"Mam-Maw will understand that you need me, Cat." Robbie rubbed her arms, gently .

"No, I want you to go fix her coffeemaker again," Cat said, hoping she looked stronger than she felt. She couldn't keep breaking down every time her brother got sick again or she would be sick next, "and when you get back, we'll spend some time together."

"Are you sure, sweetheart? Maybe you should call and talk to Jade about this …."

Cat kissed him. "You're sweet to worry. But I'll be fine."

"Cat …"

"Really, I'm fine. Or I will be – we all will." insisted Cat, though her knees still shook a bit, "and I am going to talk to Mom about the festival and us visiting Freddie too. I really think a trip might be good."

Robbie wanted to argue with her but he was learning that Cat was pretty determined once her mind was set. He still might send Jade and Tori a text just so they could text or do the girl thing where they pretended not to check up on each other.

"I'll be gone maybe 30 minutes," stated Robbie , "an hour tops if I have to be interrogated about our relationship or if my grandfather left a window open again."

Cat managed a watery smile. "Tell your grandparents I said hi, and hurry back." She walked him to the door and he leaned down to kiss her.

"Steven will be alright." Robbie assured her, brushing a strand of red hair out of her eyes, "and so will you. You know something, Caterina, I am always awestruck by how strong you really are…it's one of the reasons I love you."

"I'll make you some spaghetti." declared Cat, grinning back at him.

"Will there be meatballs ?"

Cat kissed him softly again, "There will be "

"Half hour tops!" Robbie kissed her again, hopped in his car, and drove away .

"I cried in the laundry room," announced Celia, putting an arm around her baby girls shoulder, "and you cried on your boyfriend's shoulder. There've been too many tears today. I think us Valentine women ought to mosey into the kitchen and cook away our troubles =. What do you say?"

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Cat as they went back inside, "I'm making spaghetti and meatballs for me and Robbie "

"Your father and I are having the fanciest meal I learned how to make off of the food network cause I am a wreck. I like to cook my feelings." declared Celia with a half laugh .

"Mom, Jade is entering her play in a Shakespeare contest and everyone is going with her and Beck to Seattle. Robbie is going to do the lighting and she wants me to do the costumes ..can I go?"

Celia sat her cookbook down on the counter. "Will there be a chaperone ?"

"Mom, we're practically adults ,' says Cat , taking out the silver pans ,"and Robbie and I won't be doing anything ..bad . You let me go to Yerba and that was a nightmare! This is just Seattle….and I really don't think I can stay home all summer without going nutso worrying over Steven "

"A chaperone would give me peace of mind," replied Celia , "and it's not that I don't trust you with Robbie because I do but I was your age once myself . However, if Holly and David allow Tori to go on this trip then it's perfectly fine with me "

"Yay!" Cat squealed, hugging her mother. A trip might be just what the doctor ordered.

Trina was frustrated and bordering on being wazzed off .

Since she had graduated from Hollywood Arts, Dad had put his foot down about most of the things in her life (including her expensive shopping habits ) and informed her that since she was an adult, it was past time for her to start acting like one. Which meant no more Fizzenene shoes unless she intended to pay for them herself. Which sucked big time and meant that she needed to get a job.

She really didn't like the whole idea of having to work and her short stint helping Robbie man Festus's Grub Truck convinced her that food service was not for Trina Vega. However to appease her parents, Trina had gone out , filled out the applications, and applied for various jobs around L.A. None of them as glamorous or with a pay of her liking but she was trying .

Jet Brew Coffee had offered her a witnessing gig but she could hardly seee herself serving coffee and pastries so she had turned them down. She couldn't become a big star if she was stuck with the lame jobs.

Trina had been scouring the internet for an hour while her mother ran back and forth between the garage and the kitchen. Holly hadn't moved back in and she and David were still going through weekly marriage counseling sessions and Mom had decided it might help repair some of the damage if she went back to acting like a real wife and mom for a change instead of a gank.

Family dinners were now the newest thing that she and Tori had to suffer through.

Ignoring her Mom, Trina scanned the various job postings , passing by the make up artist position when a small like caught her eye for Models and she clicked on it .

Seattle Artist Seeking Model for new Project.

Must be female with open availability and no fear of fires.

Please send picture, resume and proof of age (over 18 only)

No creepy people need apply.

Trina sat up and felt excitement course through at the possibilities this offered her .

She began to type out an email as she pulled up her pictures and prepared to send it.

_"I can totally become a model"_ Trina muttered, under her breath," _and it says nothing about having any experience. This job is totally made for me_ …"

"Trina ," called Holly from the kitchen , "are you talking to yourself ?"

"Mind your own business, Mom "replied Trina as the door opened and a tanner looking Tori entered, plopping down on the couch with a heavy sigh .

"I'm back , all by myself , which seems to be the newest thing" announced Tori, glancing back at her sister ," did you get a job yet ? Cause Cat wanted to know why you didn't come with us to the beach and I told her you were job hunting …."

"I don't know,"Trina pushed her sisters feet off the couch to sit down beside her ," maybe . I just sent my resume not five minutes ago …this artist is looking for models and here I am. It's perfect and it will give me exposure!"

"I don't think modeling is such a good idea, Trina," brought up Holly," what if it's some internet psychos way of luring young girls into his lair? You should wait and have your dad check out this job you are interested in…."

Trina ignored her. "Dad said I'm an adult now and it's my decision what I do with my life. I am going to get this modeling job, you just wait and see me."

"You have never modeled a day in your life, Trina!" pointed out Tori .

"Shut up, Tori," Trina replied, "besides I am young and super hot that I can so be a model for an artist. So it's not just any modeling anyhow …artists have visions." She nudged her sister, "So how was the beach? I can't help but to notice that Andre didn't come inside to stay and hang out with you ….."

Tori made a face and crossed her arms over her chest. "No because Andre was busy being popular with the hot girls playing volleyball." remarked a jealous Tori , "And I have no right to be wazzed off about it either . I should just be grateful he even still wants to be friends with me after everything that has happened …"

" No chance of you two getting back together ?' asked Holly, handing each girl a glass of pink lemonade and perching on the chair to listen .

"She kissed Beck ," reminded an agitated Trina ," you know Andre's best friend, Mom. Kind of like how you were making time with Dad's partner behind his back…chances are really slim in those cases."

"Mistakes happen, Trina," said Holly , wishing she could turn back time herself , "and I am sure that with a little time and some talking, Tori and Andre can get back together."

"Noooo, I don't think I need a boyfriend ," declared a matter of fact Tori , "and I can't keep getting angry if Andre wants to date other girls. He can if he wants tooo…."

"Oh baby, I am so sorry ," sympathized Holly ," I know how much you love Andre."

"No, it's alright ," decided Tori , pushing forward , "I am going to use this time to work on making my dreams happen and not do bad things like kissing my friends boyfriends.

I don't know what I was thinking …but I am done with that."

"So, speaking of dreams and stuff , Jade is going to perform her new play in this big festival contest thingie in Seattle," brought up Tori , appealing to her mother while she was trying to make amends ," Beck is driving and she wants me and Andre to play her other characters . Robbie and Cat are going to ..can I go, Mom ?"

"Where is this play taking place?" asked a suspicious Holly , knowing her daughter .

" Just Seattle ," answered Tori ," which isn't that far at all, Mom. Robbie's friend Freddie lives there and his friend Carly said we could stay with her so there would be parents and everything since you don't trust me . Even though I am almost 17 years old and all of the guys are 17 and can I please go with them ?"

" The last trip your father and I agreed to, you kids got thrown in a Yerbian prison ! I don't know how I feel about letting you go on another one "

"She won't wear heels." volunteered Trina, checking her phone .

"I won't ," argued Tori, desperately wanting to go, "and you and Dad could have time alone if I were in Seattle . Besides I really want to go!"

"Would Mr. Sikowitz be able to chaperone again?" inquired Holly , curiously .

"Sikowitz is on his summer break too, Mom. Come on, you trust Andre and I can assure you nothing funny is going to go on with him and me! Cat is going and her parents are even more old fashioned about the whole chaperone thing! You like Mrs. Valentine …..MOM, please!"

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to let you go but I want to hear what your Dad thinks first."

"Dad will say yes," declared Trina, "you ought to just let her go, Mom. Would save you the sucking up with Tori right off if you agree to let her go road tripping with her friends…"

"Fine, but your father still can yea or nay it." added Holly to be on safe side .

"Thanks, Mom!" Tori hugged Holly , "I have to text Jade and Andre now and let then know."

Trina stared at her phone." I had better get this job."

" Hold still, Gibby," Spencer Shay tucked his hand beneath his chin, studied the young man posing for him in the astronaut costume and added more orange to his suit ," almost, almost finished …and walah, done "

He added the mole and laid his paintbrush down ." From the Gibby to Roger the secret great American astronaut "

Gibby placed the helmet on the counter and moved to examine the painting with a keen eye.

" This is great, man ," told an excited Gibby ," If I had money , I would totally buy this "

" Cool, I'm hoping to promote some of my work during the festival ," replied Spencer of the big Shakespeare festival that Seattle hosted every year ," my sculptures didn't catch the attention of anyone last year so this year I'm thinking out of the box "

" I thought you liked being in the box ," teased his sister Carly, joining them in the kitchen ," your sculptures were really good . " She paused to examine the picture of gibby ," you haven't painted in a while , Spencer "

He shrugged ," Which is why I am getting back on the horse again ," he declared ," I even posted an ad on the internet looking for a model "

" What's wrong with the models you normally use or did they quit after you dated them ?" teased Carly, pushing her dark hair off of her shoulders as she poured herself a glass of lemonade ," I was joking !"

" Most of them …ran away from me ," admitted a wry Spencer ," and I don't think im allowed to hire models in Seattle anyway ..anymore so I put an ad online "

" Free models ?" asked a practical Carly ," because I didn't think you had any money to actually pay someone to pose for you. You'd be better off sticking with Gibby …"

He made a face " Hey, I have other plans too , you know ," spoke up the husky young man ," Sam and I have been talking about branching out from the restaurant . Add another one besides Gibby's .." He glanced at the older man who was his friend ," Not that Spencer isn't totally the man but I'm thinking he's wanting another medium that involves some pretty sharp looking women "

Carly shook her head and wished that Sam and Freddie would get back from California already. She missed them and there was only so much Gibby time she could take especially since he seemed awfully attentive to her which always weirded her out .

" I have money ," defended Spencer, peeved ," I'm not always just the fun loving , irresponsible big brother , you know . My last sidewalk exhibit made money and oh, someone answered my ad "

" OOOOH no " sighed Carly , having a bad feeling about this ," does the girl at least speak English this time?"

"Wait , " Spencer pored over the email ," her name is Trina Vega . Sounds exotic "

" Like a pineapple " added Gibby , looking over his shoulder .

" It says here that she went to Hollywood Arts , hey , impressive ," Spencer found himself getting more excited ," and she was in last years parade parade on TV . I watched that ! "

" Parade parade " sighed Carly , shaking her head again ," is that the one in Pasadena that nobody ever watches ?"

" That's only because its new " told Spencer ," I am liking this potential model already "

"What does she look like " Gibby wanted to know ," open up that picture , man "

Spencer opened the attachment and felt his jaw drop to the floor as a beautiful young woman with long dark hair streaked with highlights , big eyes, and sultry lips winked back at him .

"Wow , she's hot !" exclaimed Gibby , ignoring the eye rolling Carly was doing .

"She's gorgeous ," exclaimed an awestruck Spencer ," and she's so hired "

" Ms . Vega ," Spencer tried his best to sound professional ," this is Spencer Shay . You answered my ad online ..um, for a model and I am just calling to let you know that you are perfect. I mean, you look like ….your hired "

Trina did a little dance and tugged on Tori's arm even as she answered ," Yes ! I mean, yes, and thank you because I am so ready to model for you "

" Cool," said Spencer , giving Gibby and Carly the thumbs up ," so I will just , you know, email you all of the information and the details of the job then see you soon "

" Yes and thanks so much " Trina hung up her pear phone and faced her family ," I got the job! He thinks I am perfect ! I told you all..didn't I ?"

Tori lifted a brow ." You got the job? Trina, that's great! "

Trina preened a bit ." He is sending me the details soon but then I will be on my way to becoming a model " She picked up her phone to send texts to her friends or in this case to send Cat a text ," Its even better because I get to travel "

" Travel ," repeated a suspicious Holly ," I do not like the sound of this . Where do you have to go for this job ? Does this artist have a name ? David , cant you run a background check ?"

" Its just Seattle ," sighed Trina ," and of course he has a name. Spencer Shay is my new boss "

" David " pressed Holly ," are you going to check this man out ? It just doesn't seem like the wisest thing to do to allow Trina to go model for some flaky artist …"

" Don't pretend to care now, Mom " retorted Trina , snidely .

Tori looked up from her pear pad where she had googled the name . " Spencer Shay is a real artist ," offered helpful Tori," he isn't well known or anything but he's had some of his sculptures on display in some Seattle exhibits "

" See, told you " stated Trina," and I am taking this job "

David sighed and shook his head , deciding on the best course of action to take here .

" We cant keep coddling the girls, Holly ," replied David , thoughtfully ," they wont grow into mature , responsible adults if we don't allow them to make their own decisions here . Trina, you follow your instincts on this job and it will be just fine "

" What about my trip with my friends, Dad ? " interceded Tori, hopeful.

" The festival is in Seattle," continued David ," and so is your sisters new modeling job. I think this couldn't have worked out any better for the both of you …"

Tori and Trina exchanged puzzled looks . " Uh, what are you talking about ?"

" Tori, you may go on this trip and your sister will chaperone it " announced David , matter of fact.

" Chaperone ? I don't want to chaperone Tori and her freaky friends, Dad ! "

" That is insane , Dad ! Trina cant chaperone anything ! She gets in more trouble than I ever do ! I cant believe this ! "

" It's either that or neither of you get to go to Seattle " declared David , simply .

Tori made a face and plopped back down on the couch. " Fine , Trina gets to watch me and my friends "

Trina reread all of the email regarding her modeling gig and found herself giddy with joy .

She didn't even care if she had to baby-sit Tori and her friends until she got to Seattle .

" Seattle, here we come , baby sister " drawled Trina , her smile wide ," oh Seattle "

Looks like their summer plans were official .


	3. Chapter 3

I wanted to profusely thank my friend, my most awesome beta and co-writer extradonaire The Wrtrnme for working her magic and helping me with this story. I couldn't do it without her .

Disclaimer ; I still don't own Victorious or the Icarly gang .

Jade was bugging.

Beck Oliver sat in his chair in his RV listening with a worried frown across his face as his girlfriend paced restlessly around the motor home, list in hand. She was clearly in director mode as she rattled off things they would need to pack and do for their upcoming trip.

"If I didn't hate Sinjin, I would see if he could come and do the set dressing ," muttered Jade , more to herself , "guess Rob will have to manage on his own. He and Cat work well together so I'm not really worried about the lighting. They'll do fine if I can manage to keep them from sucking face long enough to do their job…"

She heaved a sigh, "You and I can still use Morgana and Samuel's costumes. I talked to Sikowitz and he said we can swing by the school and pick them up which is cool. So Cat will only have to make costumes for Andre and Tori."

She dragged a hand through her inky hair and turned to glare at her boyfriend who had yet to say anything. It was sometimes hard to know what Jade wanted. If he spoke when she wanted quiet…problems. If he didn't speak when she wanted his input…

"Earth to Beck! Are you just going to sit there like a lump and not help me with this chizz? We only have a couple of days to get this figured out before we have to pack all of it up and leave for Seattle …."

Beck stood, taking her hands into his, and stilling her. "Babe, relax, we have plenty of time. Why are you bugging over this ? Everyone is on board so it's not like it's going to be just you and me ….."

"This isn't going to be a party bus, Beck! Vega and Andre are still playing their 'let's pretend to be just friends when we obviously want to be together' game, which is not only stupid and boring, but annoying as hell," declared Jade, dryly , "and don't even get me going about Cat. Her brother got put in that mental hospital again and the girl is a damn mess ….Robbie is with her but I'm trying to organize the most important project of my life and everyone involved is falling apart." She flopped down onto the sofa, "None of this chizz is making me happy."

"Robbie will take care of Cat."

Jade tossed her notebook over his shoulder and shot him a look that might have scared a lesser man. "I know Robbie is taking care of her but Tori keeps sending me stupid texts about how we need to go over and take ice cream to Cat right this minute."

"Jade, I can help with some of this," Beck assured her quietly, "I'll call Andre and we can pick up all of the equipment and costumes from the school. You go get Tori and visit Cat …I'm sure Robbie wouldn't mind and you can stop worrying about her."

Jade scowled. "Maybe you're right. I should go see Cat, I'm worried about her."

He gave her a knowing look. "Cat is your best friend, Jade. Nothing wrong with you being worried about her and I'm a little worried about her too."

Jade relented and moved in to his kiss him, leisurely. "She's so freaking fragile, Beck. I don't want to watch stupid love stories with her but I don't know if I should just let Robbie be the boyfriend and help her or if she needs this dumb girl ritual Vega keeps bugging me about."

"Your call, babe"

Jade huffed and sat down on the bed . "I think the girlie slumber party thing is a load of dumb crap and I don't want to do it. I haven't heard from Cat in a while so I gotta hope that means that Robbie is doing a good job at looking after her, which might be his only talent."

Beck whistled. "A little harsh don't ya think? You know he's real protective of Cat."

"Who would have thought those two would actually be good for each other." Jade commented, "I'm not going. Cat doesn't need me and Vega needs to get a life "

Beck didn't even dare go there with Jade. Especially not in her currently freaked out state. Everything was pretty much back to normal with their friendships with both Andre and Tori but he didn't want to rock the boat. Andre was okay with him now but he was still sensitive whenever he agreed or voiced his opinion regarding Tori. Jade had gotten over her jealousy of Tori but she and Jade still had their past issues and Beck was trying really hard not to fall back into old habits. Tori was his friend, but Jade was his girlfriend. Being there for Jade was what was most important now. He wanted to make sure Jade knew that she was his priority and that meant holding his tongue on his viewpoints regarding Tori, even though he was concerned about how her family situation was affecting her.

"Why don't you suggest that Tori go visit Cat all by herself then? You can call and check on her later." he suggested , helpfully.

"Already did." Jade said, resting her head on his shoulder, "This festival, Beck, it's sort of a big deal, you know . It's not going to be us performing my play like we do at school. A lot of producers and big wig college recruiters will be coming to this thing . I really want 'Love's Lament' to stand out from all of the other lame one-act plays that will be going on there too …"

Beck caressed the side of her face and drew her into a long, deep kiss." It _will_stand out , because it came from your heart." Jade had written the love story as a play for Sikowitz's class and during the time that she and Beck had been apart. It was a tale of heartbreak, witchcraft, passion, and love. "Plus, you'll definitely be the hottest playwright there."

"Beck, be serious."

"I am being serious. Besides who can resist such a bewitching love story? You even had Helen crying when we performed it at Hollywood Arts."

Her red lips twitched in a semi-smile. "Not the same. A lot of the main dudes from some of the colleges best theatre departments will be able to see my play and maybe even open some doors for me."

The future .

Beck grew silent as the unspoken words hung in the air between them. Since they had gotten back together several months ago, they had discussed their problems and their relationship in much more depth and honesty than they ever had before. But there was one thing they hadn't discussed.

The Future.

Neither of them really knew what the future held in store for them and this was the first time college had ever entered into the conversation between them. He knew at some point it was a conversation he and Jade would need to have but now wasn't the time.

"Jade, you're one of the most talented people I know. Important people paying attention to what you've done, noticing how hard you've worked, it's what I want for you." He turned and gathered her face in his hands. You are a brilliant playwright and this is going to leave any other plays in the dust . I know it, Jade. You need to know it too."

Jade slid into his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and crashed her lips down on his in a searing kiss that left them breathless. No one believed in her the way Beck did and it was a heady feeling.

He slid his hands around her waist as his lips found the spot beneath her collarbone , nibbling.

"Beck," she said, trying in vain to focus on the work they needed to be doing. "We have work to do."

Beck was undeterred. "I am working."

"I meant on the play, not on distracting the director."

"We could, uh, perfect that, uh, love scene "

Jade dragged her hands through his soft hair and chuckled against his mouth. "Yeah."

The couple was so engrossed in each other that they never heard the doorbell and it wasn't until Beck almost had the buttons of Jade's shirt undone that the knocking got louder .

"What was that ?" Beck looked around her trying to find the source of the noise.

"Nothing ," Jade wrapped herself around him, "shut up and kiss me."

"I heard something…didn't you?"

"No."

Beck shrugged and continued his slow exploration of Jade's body when the knocking and the voices outside his door became louder.

"Beck, Jade, we know that you are in there," hollered an impatient Tori , "Come on, let us in. I can hear you in there …"

Outside the RV a visibly flustered Tori stood in front of Andre screaming at the closed RV door. She raised her hand again to knock and Andre grasped her hand.

"Tori, no." said Andre , still holding her hand , "I'm thinking now isn't a good time."

"I sent them both texts telling them we were coming over, Andre !"

Andre shook his head, knowingly ." I think we'd better go before Jade comes out with her scissors ….she and Beck gotta be...er… busy "

" Busy? Andre, this is important ! Cat is our friend and she needs us right now "

"I think you need to chill down, Tor."

" GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, you are so dead." growled Jade, climbing off of Beck's lap, swinging the door open and glaring furiously at Tori and Andre," what do you two want? You couldn't take a hint when we didn't answer the door to go away "

" Babe , your shirt." reminded Beck, putting his arms around her shoulders to calm her, "Come on in guys."

"Sure, come on in," Jade said sarcastically, "Now that you've ruined the moment."

"Sorry, man ," Andre apologized and averted his gaze as Jade fastened her shirt buttons, "I tried telling Tori that it wasn't a good idea but she's pretty set on us talking to you guys."

"This had better be important, Vega, cause right now I would love to cut your pretty hair with my new scissors and fry those split ends of yours."

Tori made a face. "Sorry but I did send you six texts, Jade," explained Tori ,a woman on a mission, "I really think that it's important that we all go over to Cat's house and hang with her. I called her a couple times after Robbie sent out that text about her brother and Cat swears that she is fine but I don't think she is." Tori's voice softened. "She needs us…All of us."

Andre spoke up, " I tried telling her that Lil Red is in good hands with Robbie but she thinks we should all hang and order pizza." retorted Andre , "I think we'd be interrupting."

"Cat sounded down! When does the girl ever say that she's fine ? I don't think we should let Robbie handle this alone, we need to go cheer her up! What do you guys say? Maybe we can order some pizza and get Cat out of the house."

"I disagree." Jade crossed her arms over her chest, "Cat hasn't texted me since that one time. It's a dumb idea and she's with Robbie, Vega "

"Jade ! This is Cat that we're talking about! I'm sorry we interrupted you and Beck but I think this is a little more important than you guys making out."

Beck shook his head. "No, oh God."

"OOOOOh Oh ," retorted Jade, her temper rising , "you are so going to pay for that."

Andre grasped Tori's shoulders and moved her out of the way. "Tori, no," stated Andre, "Beck, calm your woman. I want to help Cat too but I think we'd be cutting in on Robbie's time with her."

Tori frowned at him. "Andre! I thought you agreed with me."

"I do but I just think if Cat needed us, she would let us know or Robbie would."

"Not necessarily," Tori tugged on Andre's arm, "I'm not even so sure she would have told us about it this time if Robbie hadn't mentioned it to us first. Let's just quit discussing it and go surprise Cat ….she loves surprises." Tori argued.

"Let's just go," Andre gave in, knowing that Tori wasn't going to drop this until they went to visit their friends, "You guys riding with us or what?"

"Fine, we'll go!"

"Beck!" Jade protested.

Beck raised his hands to silence her and was surprised when it worked. "But we'll take my car and meet you there in thirty." Beck said, palms up in surrender, turning to Jade. "We can just stop by the house to ask if Cat and Robbie want to hang out with us. If they say no, then at least we tried and they'll know we cared."

Jade sighed and murmured under her breath, frustrated but recognizing she'd lost this round to Tori and her ridiculous demands.

"Jade and I will make sure that Cat is alright." stated Tori as Andre dragged her out of the motor home and to his car, "Andre, wait ! I wasn't done in there!" she said as the door slammed behind them.

"Quit while you're ahead, Tor. Jade looked ready for blood. You should thank me for saving your life." Tori frowned as she followed him to the car and got in. He smiled at her and started the car. "We're checking in to make sure Cat isn't a total mess, Tor. We get it. You won."

"This is a good thing! We're being good friends, just like Cat is to us! I don't see why all of you are against it! We hang out all of the time."

"You're Mom or your Dad driving you nuts?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only to someone who knows you like I do." He said, softly.

Tori bit the side of her lip and glanced at her best friend, painfully . "It's a mess Andre. Mom is suffocating me! It's like she's trying to make up for all of the times she didn't want to know what was going on in my life and I…I just don't know how to feel about it."

Andre reached over to squeeze her hand." So we'll work on distracting you and Cat."

"Something like that ." admitted Tori, aware of the current that still ran between them and the fact that he was still holding her hand . She didn't want to get used to it again, the feeling of comfort that just being close to him brought her - always leaving her longing for more. She was through with romance for now.

Andre released her hand and managed a small smile." You know, you could have just called Cat to check up on her and we could have played cards with Beck and Jade."

"Cat isn't answering her phone "

He had a feeling this plan of Tori's, well-meaning though it was, wasn't going to go over as she expected . Which was probably going to suck. "Fine . We'll go check on Lil Red and hope for the best."

Meanwhile at the Valentine house, Robbie and Cat had finished eating their spaghetti and meatballs and were curled up together on the overstuffed couch in the living room watching 'Simply Irresistible'.

"This is such a silly, romantic movie." Cat said, snuggling closer to him, "Wouldn't it be fun to have a magic crab? I always wonder where the magic came from and why did it get in a crab? Like did the powers of true love know Amanda was a chef and it had to be in something she wouldn't end up cooking?"

Robbie chuckled and kissed her hair. "I think that makes a lot of sense , Cat . The crab looks too much like a pet, I wouldn't be able to boil it without feeling bad."

Cat kissed the underside of his jaw. "What kind of true love magic followed us , Robbie? I mean it was kind of zany and wonderful how we fell in love. Maybe the magic was already in the air between us… or in the cupcake you brought me."

Robbie pulled her closer to him. "I think there's always been magic with us."

"Me too." Cat cupped the side of his face, tenderly, with her hand and then pressed her lips to his in a soft, sweet kiss, "I think I'm a lucky girl to have you, Robbie Shapiro."

Robbie returned the kiss with fervor and she settled comfortably on his chest.

"Sweetie , did you want to talk about Steven ?"

Cat listened to the steady beat of Robbie's heart against her ear and shook her head. "No," murmured Cat, softly , "cause there isn't anything I can do to help and if we talk about it again, I'll just be sad again. I'm okay, Robbie, I am."

" Alrighty," Robbie dropped a kiss against her eyebrow, "can you even watch the movie this way, Cat?"

Cat giggle, "A little but I'm all comfy right here . You're really warm, Robbie "

He blushed , "We could, you know, make out."

Cat scooted up and wrapped her arms around his neck, "You're so silly Robbie. I love that about you." She said, moving closer to him.

Robbie drew her into a long, passionate kiss and the world disappeared around them . It was warmth and need , soft touches and tenderness as he gentled the kisses and whispered his love for her .

The shrillness of the doorbell broke through their romantic haze. Cat blinked , stared at Robbie wide eyed, and frowned .

"Was that on the movie? Cause I didn't think the elevator scene had a doorbell."

"I think it's the door." Robbie sat up, pulling his girlfriend with him, " I guess we should go see who it is. Maybe your parents forgot their keys again …"

After supper , Cat's father had taken Celia out dancing to take her mind off of their son , leaving Robbie and Cat with the house to themselves .

"Oh I doubt it ," explained Cat , "Dad made like a dozen new keys after the last time Mom misplaced them. Plus they aren't due back for a couple hours."

The doorbell rang again followed by another loud pounding as Cat and Robbie's pear phones went off simultaneously.

"I'll get the door cause whoever it is sounds really impatient" Cat said as Robbie followed her into the hall.

Cat opened the door and found all of their friends standing on the doorstep. "Um, hi guys!"

"Surprise!" Tori reached over and pulled her into a hug, "We were just all hanging out and making plans for the big trip and thought we should come hang with you and Robbie too."

"No," stated Jade , noting Cat's rumpled hair and Robbie's crooked glasses , "Beck and I were making out. Tori insisted on barging over here and dragging all of us with her." She smirked and put a hand on her hip, "but it looks like Beck and I weren't the only ones who were…interrupted tonight."

Cat blushed as her friends entered the house. "This is really nice, you guys, but Robbie and I are watching movies tonight….alone."

"Really? I love movies! What are you watching." Tori said, oblivious to Cat's brush off. "How does pizza sound? I was thinking we could order a couple of pizzas and then go over to karaoke Dokee for some singing and dancing . Doesn't that sound like fun, Cat?"

Robbie placed a hand on his girlfriend's shoulder . "Sweetheart?"

"Uh, yeah, I really don't want to go out tonight, you guys " muttered a reluctant Cat ," and Robbie and I already had supper . I made us spaghetti and meatballs." She felt Robbie squeeze her shoulder and softened her slight rude tone. "But I guess you could stay and have some, if you want ..."

"Yeah," said an enthusiastic Tori, taking Cat's hand and leading her into the kitchen, "It'll be like a party. Jade, why don't you join me and Cat in the kitchen …"

"Yippee," Jade said sarcastically.

Robbie didn't look thrilled to see them and neither did Cat. Jade understood but Vega obviously didn't.

While the girls disappeared into the kitchen, Robbie managed a worried sigh and appraised his friends . "Hanging out wasn't what we had planned for tonight, guys." replied Robbie , tersely , "No offense but Cat isn't exactly in the partying mood."

"Sorry, man," volunteered Beck , "we just wanted to check up on her."

"Tori meant well, dude ," explained Andre in defense , "don't be wazzed at the girl for trying to be a good friend . When Cat never answered Tori's texts she got worried and came up with the idea for the whole 'Cheer lil Red up' plan . I couldn't talk her out of it and maybe this will help Cat to feel better …."

"Cat was upset earlier ," stated Robbie , grimly , "but she doesn't want to talk about her brother anymore . I hope Tori doesn't push her about it ….Cat doesn't need it tonight."

"Tori will be sensitive to Cat's feelings." Andre glanced at the TV and noticed a floating kissing couple, "What in the name of gravy are you watching? Why are they floating and making out? Cat makes you watch some weird chizzin' movies, Robbie."

"It does look lame." Beck offered.

"It's a screwball love story like those old 1940's movies." explained Robbie , simply , "It's sill but Cat loves it so don't make fun in front of her."

"Rob," pointed out Beck, a slight grin curving round his mouth, "Cat has you so whipped!"

"You let Jade and Tori drag you over here so I'm not the only one who's whipped!" Robbie said as he shut off the movie and glanced nervously towards the kitchen , "I don't think it's a good idea to hang out tonight, guys, but I'm going to see how Cat feels about it."

"You should have answered your phone then." countered Andre , with a nod .

"Cat and I didn't want to be interrupted!" Robbie said, heading for the kitchen..

Beck and Andre exchanged nods and stuffed their hands in their pockets, waiting.

"So, how are you doing ? Are you holding up alright, Cat ?" asked Tori as she poured herself a glass of lemonade, "I understand that it's a more serious situation with your brother this time ….so Jade and I thought you could use the company."

"Tori thought you could use the company." Jade stated, "I thought I wanted to make out with my boyfriend."

Cat dropped the spaghetti spoon on the counter and bit her lip.

"That is really nice of you Tori, but I'm with Robbie," Cat said firmly, "I mean, it's not like I'm alone or anything . I don't really want to talk about it tonight, please."

"Robbie doesn't know anything. He's a guy." dismissed Tori , " A little girl heart to heart will make you feel better . We can kick the guys out and just be us girls tonight if you don't want to go out dancing."

Jade noticed the tension in Cat immediately. "Can it Vega!"

"I'm not really in the mood for a girls night, Tori . I just want to cuddle with Robbie and talk about our plans for the summer together …kay ?"

"I don't understand how that will cheer you up." Tori went on, ignoring Cat's obvious discomfort and Jade's death stares. "You shouldn't hold things in, Cat . It isn't healthy and believe me, I know about that! Besides it couldn't hurt for the guys to do their thing and we could do ours …oh, and we could even paint each others nails!"

"Vega ," Jade grabbed Tori's arm and dragged her over to the side, "this was a stupid idea. Cat doesn't want to do this. Can't you see how upset you're making her? And now you've wasted an hour of my time that I can't get back and you are going to make things with Cat worse than they already are!"

Cat sniffled and tried to compose herself . "Jade, do you, Andre and Beck want spaghetti too?"

Robbie strode into the kitchen purposely, took one look at the pensive expression on his Cat's face, and walked over to her. "Cat, what's the matter?"

"Nothing," Cat's voice was soft and held a hint of uncertainty, "I don't know if I have enough food for everyone . Did you shut off our movie? Nobody here will like it but me and you and could you please hold me, Robbie?" Her nerves were skittering along the edges and Cat was trying so hard not to let them win. She had thought she had her anxiety under control for the evening. Tori wanting to help her was nice but it had brought them right back to the surface. Darn anxiety! Cat hated it!

Robbie folded her in his arms and glared at Tori. "What did you say to her, Tori?"

Tori looked from Robbie to Cat, genuinely confused at why Cat was upset. "I only suggested we have a girls night tonight." She explained. "Cat loves those and I thought we could all talk about what's bugging us. It's a girl thing. You wouldn't understand, Robbie."

"I knew this was a bad idea." Jade muttered, turning to call out into the living room. "Beck, we're leaving!"

She walked over to the couple and forced Cat to meet her gaze. "We're outta here, baby girl , but if you need me," declared Jade, not mincing words, "Call me, text me, whatever. You know I'm here for you."

Cat managed a watery smile, "I know Jade. Thanks. I will."

Jade paused beside Robbie. "You got her ?"

"I do ," reassured Robbie, "thanks, Jade."

"Whatever," dismissed Jade as she and Beck left the Valentine home , leaving an uncomfortable Andre to handle a dead set Tori and an angry Robbie.

"This is ridiculous," exclaimed Tori ,incredulously , "I didn't mean to upset you, Cat. How many times does this make that your brother has had to go to the special hospital? You always make a funny and you didn't when I called you about it so I got worried. I thought this would be the perfect way to cheer you up …..not bring you down."

"It's not really funny about my brother. You were just trying to help me and I don't want you guys mad at me, Tori, so we can hang out together if you want "

"I'm not going to be mad at you, Cat. I just wanted to help."

"No," Robbie let go of Cat," Tori, can I talk to you in the hall for a minute?"

"Robbie , don't ," protested Cat , weakly," it's okay if Tori and Andre stay and hang…"

"Not when you're getting upset again, sweetheart." Robbie kissed her forehead and pulled a curious Tori out into the hallway to talk privately.

"What is it Robbie?" Tori asked, frustrated and confused.

"Listen Tori, I know you meant well, but did it ever occur to you that Cat actually knows what she wants? She didn't want to talk about her brother or the hospital the rest of the night because it upsets her . It makes her sad, not to mention that it brings out her anxiety! You should know that!"

"Oh no, Robbie! You can't be mad at me about this! Especially since you're the one that sent me the text telling me about Cat. I was just trying to help her! Cat is one of my best friends and you don't know everything about her! If she opens up to me about how she feels, her anxiety might go away for a while."

"Or she will hyperventilate and faint ! You don't always listen to her, Tori."

"I do so listen to Cat ! You're being such a jerk, Robbie Shapiro, when all I was trying to do was help!"

"Cat told you she wasn't in the mood to hang out tonight but you have my girl in the kitchen fixing plates of spaghetti and getting her upset all over again!"

Cat stepped out of the kitchen, worry etched across her face. "Robbie, Tori, please don't fight. I'm fine and it's really not that bad …I'm just a little sensitive tonight."

"Cat is right," Andre placed a hand lightly on Tori's arm, his tone soothing , "Spazzing out and fighting isn't going to help anyone in this house. Rob, why don't you and Cat continue with your movie watching and Tori and I will leave." He turned to Tori, her mouth opened in protest. "I'll take you for some cocoa. The Belgian kind!"

" It's 102 degrees out Andre, and I don't want any cocoa!"

"Well then I'll have them make it on ice," declared Andre, taking charge, "Now give Lil Red a hug so you and I can get out of here."

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings , Tori," whispered Cat as her friend gave her a hug, "I just don't feel like talking about my problems. Robbie understands me. Are you sure you aren't mad at me or Robbie?"

Tori shook her head, "My feelings aren't hurt Cat. And I'm not mad at you."

"What about Robbie?"

Tori ignored her question and headed for the door. "Bye." She said, not meeting Robbie's eyes and following Andre to the car .

Cat sighed a little and wrapped her arms around Robbie's waist. "I wish you hadn't fought with Tori over me," Cat said, under her breath, "She was just trying to help me. I should have answered all of her texts back…I think it's sort of my fault she came over in the first place."

"She doesn't trust that I can take care of you." Robbie said, still angry.

"I don't think it is that at all, Robbie , but promise me that you will apologize to Tori."

Robbie heaved a sigh and considered, "Fine, I'll apologize to Tori. Do you want to go back in the living room and continue watching the movie, Cat?"

"Yes."

Closing her eyes, Cat tried to forget all about the misunderstanding and the fights and pressed a hand against her chest, willing herself to breathe. She would just have to explain again to Tori about why she didn't want to share and talk about her problems tomorrow but right now cuddling with the guy she loved and who loved her unconditionally was all that she wanted to do.


	4. Chapter 4

"I cannot believe that Robbie yelled at me! Robbie, of all people! Did you hear what he had the nerve to say to me, Andre? Cat is my friend and he doesn't just get to act like he knows what's better for her just because they're a couple!" Tori climbed in the front seat on Andre's car, slamming the door, loudly and turning to face him. "You could have defended me in there, you know!" she paused mid-rant and studied his face as he looked back at her incredulously. "Andre, why are you looking at me like that?"

He narrowed his eyes and placed his hands over hers. "You went a little overboard in there, Tori. I mean, I get why you did it. You love Lil' Red. You want her to be okay. But…the way you went about it was…" he stopped and bit his lip as Tori stared at him, hurt and anger evident on her face. He was just getting back on good ground with her. An argument about something that had little to do with them or their friendship was an epically bad idea. He changed tactics. "Listen, how about we go for that iced cocoa now. Chocolate always makes you feel better."

Tori slumped into her seat as Andre started the car, crossing her arms over her chest. "There are some problems even cocoa can't fix." She avoided his heavy gaze, afraid he would see her insecurities, now made worse by her embarrassment, and be disappointed in her.

"It's sweet that you think you have a choice." declared Andre, debating on how to broach the real reason Tori was acting all out of sorts. They drove in silence until Andre stopped at a nearby Jet Brew for iced cocoa's then headed back to the Hollywood Hills and the Vega house.

Tori took a sip of the chocolate and managed a smile. It was good. "We're going back to my house?"

"I thought that we could talk better there." Andre spoke up, "I won't go inside if that's not cool. We could talk on the patio."

"We never really go sit on the patio," mumbled Tori, "Andre, you don't have to do this. I know that you are still uncomfortable with…us. Besides, things are still weird at my house and I can't guarantee who will be home or if my parents will be arguing or walking on eggshells around each other." She sighed, "This whole thing really sucks."

He parked the car and sent her a warm smile. "I'm not uncomfortable. Fact is it's been awhile since we've talked about anything other than school stuff or our friends"

Tori led the way to the back of the house and sat down on the picnic table, nursing her drink. "I'm a horrible friend, aren't I?"

Andre fixed her with a confused look. "What are you talking about, Tor?"

"I forgot all about Cat's anxiety!" she raised a hand to stop his attempt to protest. "It's true, Andre, Robbie is right. I hate to admit it, but he is. I should have known what sets Cat's anxiety off. I'm just so used to helping her, fixing her. I'm not the one that's supposed to hurt her." She looked down at her cup, frowning. "I'm just so mad at myself for that!"

"You weren't the only one," admitted a serious Andre, taking a drink of the chocolate and collecting his cool, "I mean, I know that Cat gets worked up pretty much like Robbie does but sometimes I forget that it's a real issue and not just…"

"And not just Cat just being …well, Cat."

"Exactly!" Andre said.

Tori pursed her lips and nodded, slightly. "Me, too and I guess I thought that Cat couldn't possibly want to be all by herself because…" she fought back tears, thinking of the real reason for her pushing Cat. "Well, because I didn't want to be." She took a breath and refused to look at Andre. "Going through this…all of this chizz. It's just hard. Even harder when you have to do it alone."

Andre shifted in his seat, moving closer to Tori and placing his hand over hers. "You aren't alone. As long as I'm breathing you're never alone." Tori offered him a small smile. "You should have just called me, Tor. We're still friends, right? Do I need to remind you, Tori? Cause things aren't so bad between us that …you can't talk to me when you're going a little crazy."

"I thought about it...a lot," declared Tori, her tone higher than she intended. His nearness and the musky scent of his cologne was drawing her in despite her best efforts to resist. "And it's not that I don't feel like I can call you," she laughed at his doubting frown, "Okay, maybe it's some of that. I just don't want to risk this...this friendship, Andre."

"We're good, Tori," he reassured her, not just because it was true, but because he knew it was important that it be crystal clear to her as well, "so, come on, talk to me "

"I feel sooooo lost," her voice small and weaker than she'd intended, "I can't even be around my friends without turning into a crazy person! I am just sooooo unbelievably stressed right now…and then to have Robbie yell at me. I still can't he did it!"

"He did, didn't he!" chuckled Andre, trying to contain himself at the look on Tori's face. "You have to admit Tori, it was a little funny. Good old, play it safe Robbie really gave it to you! Nice he's finally grown a backbone."

"Andre!"

"Sorry," he said, not really sorry at all. "Look the way I see it, you were kind of obnoxious because you needed an outlet for your stress and wanted a reason for the girl's night out thing. Am I right?"

"Maybe, but I didn't think that Jade would agree to it unless I got Cat first. I shouldn't have pushed Cat. God, I never even noticed that she was getting upset."

"Cat is in good hands," Andre lowered his voice, "And anyway, we were talking about you ….."

"I...I guess I just worry that I'm going to make the same mistakes that Mom did. I mean, I sort of already have." confessed Tori, not quite meeting his gaze, "So I worry, like all the time. I worry that maybe underneath it all I'm just like her, that if I don't watch how I act then I'm going to keep making more bad choices …like I did with…"

"With Beck." Andre said his voice soft and low. He bit the inside of his lip at the reminder of the kiss that had destroyed their relationship and covered her hand with his own. "What happened with Beck…it ate me up." Tori lowered her head, tears coming to her eyes. Andre lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. "But it's cool now. It hurt, but we got through it and now…now I think we're past the worst of it. I got over it and yea, it was bad but it doesn't erase all of the good stuff that came before it. Regardless of what happened, or what may happen in the future, we'll always be us. Best friends…always."

"It doesn't feel all that cool sometimes." continued Tori, tiredly, "And Trina is handling this thing with my parents even worse than I am. It's like suddenly she's turning into this person, this different person. She's been selfish and sometimes mean but now…she's just so angry. She's acting different and it's freaking me out!"

Andre weighed her words, carefully and inched close enough to smell her perfume.

"You are not your mom, Tori. And all this insecurity and anger…that's not the Tori I know." He smiled at her, "The Tori Vega I know is strong and sweet and pretty amazing. She has friends, and family, who love her and support her, and she's going to be okay… even she forgets that sometimes."

"Not so amazing anymore," countered Tori, pushing her wavy hair off of her shoulders, "or have you forgotten my evil flirtatious ways?" she sighed, "Maybe Jade was right about me all along." She wiped the tears from her face and sat up resolutely, "But I swear, I'm finished being that girl...I don't even want to be flirty."

"A little flirt wouldn't hurt ….."

Tori gave him a scathing look.

He laughed, "Too soon?"

"It's not funny! I'm being serious! This is why I wanted the whole girl's night thingie. You just don't get it at all, Andre. You're such a guy sometimes."

Andre placed a hand on her arm , his voice soft as he dared to look into those shining eyes that made him willing to do just about anything for her.

"I think you need to chill down and just...stop. Stop freaking out over everything that bugs you. Stop worrying about things you can't control and most of all, stop punishing yourself for something that's over and done with. You worry too much, Tor. Let me worry about you for a bit and you try to just be Tori."

She turned her head slightly and realized their faces were mere inches apart and his touch was setting her skin on fire. "Uh, huh …what?"

Andre wanted, with every fiber of his being, to lean in and kiss her. To feel the softness of her lips against his after what felt like ages. But he was afraid she would bolt if he tried. He settled for caressing the side of her face with his hand and heard her sigh and took that as a sign that she wasn't completely over him. Which was good since he wasn't the slightest bit over her...period.

"I think you need this vacation more than the rest of us," he managed to say, struggling between what he wanted and what Tori needed. "And whatever happens with your folks, you can't control that. Believe me, I know that better than anyone and whatever is going to happen between them probably doesn't have anything to do with you in the first place."

"MMMHM" gulped Tori with a rueful sigh, "Man, do I have issues."

Andre laughed and the tension evaporated between them. "Who doesn't, Tori?"

She joined his laughter, "This is nice …you and me talking like this. I've missed it...a lot." She didn't dare vocalize her thoughts on how much she had missed confiding in Andre about everything. She would not make him her lifeline, not anymore.

He deserved better than her selfish ways but oh, this closeness was wonderful.

"Thanks for saving me from Jade," Tori stood and moved away, putting some space between them, "I don't know what I was thinking barging in on her and Beck ! Clearly, I wasn't thinking …and it could have really been embarrassing and then she would have new reasons to murder me."

"Beck and I wouldn't have let you girls kill each other. Might have been a fun chick fight." He laughed as Tori shoved his shoulder, "What? It was good entertainment when you girls were fake fighting for the Wood."

"You're such a guy." She gathered their discarded cups and turned to him. "Thanks Andre. I feel much better now." decided Tori, matter of fact, "You were right about the cocoa and the talk….thank you."

"Anytime, Tori, any time" Andre moved in and hugged her, "don't make me have to beat it out of you next time." He smiled and headed for the door, turning at Tori's voice.

"Talk to you later?"

"Most definitely."

Before Tori or Andre could make the next move in this not so delicate dance they were doing, Holly spotted them and stepped outside the door, a smile on her face.

"Tori, Andre, I didn't know you kids were out on the patio," she said, sending her youngest daughter a hopeful smile, "I'm so used to you two hanging inside but I suppose with the heat it is nice out here."

"Patio in the shade, Mom."

"Right," Holly tried again, "Andre, I'm making a nice vegetable lasagna for supper. Won't you stay and join us?"

"Thanks , Mrs. Vega , but I'm afraid I can't tonight," answered Andre, "I have to pick up my Grandma , My Dad is back in town. We're going out for supper somewhere."

"Oh, well isn't that nice!" Holly said, "Where are you going?"

"I don't know where...he always decides last minute." Andre frowned.

Tori, in shock, turned to Andre, "Andre, you never told me your dad was back in town! How long has he been back? How do you feel about seeing him again? Hasn't it been like four or five months since he came back from Vegas?"

Holly noticed the change in Tori's behavior and without a word went back inside the house, giving them some privacy.

"I was going to mention it." Andre admitted with a shrug, "before you went all crazy and dragged me to Beck's house. I...I guess it's good to see him again and he isn't bringing his latest girlfriend this time cause I was pretty uncomfortable the last time he brought Barbie . Grandma is lucid this week so she's all happy to see him." He nodded his head. "I'm actually really happy about that, more than anything."

"Your Grandma is having a good week? Andre, that's awesome!"

Andre's face broke out with a wide grin and the slight strain behind his eyes disappeared.

"She fixed meatloaf last night," continued Andre, excitedly, "And it was actually edible. Grandma acted like her normal self! Don't know how long it's going to last but it was pretty cool. She's looking forward to getting out of the house and visiting with Dad …so, I'm glad about that."

"So now would be the time to reintroduce myself for the hundredth time" joked Tori as his grandmother never could seem to remember who she was.

"Yeah, so, I need to be going but maybe we can talk later on?" asked Andre

"Of course! Heck, yeah! "Tori hugged him around the neck, "I'll text you."

"I'll count on it ….." Andre stepped back, removing her arms and blew out a breath, looking at his watch. "Uh, oh…I'm almost late. I really have got to book it, Tori."

"Oh, bye, Andre, thanks." Tori watched him get in his car and leave and felt a lot better than she had in the last two days. Andre always had that effect on her. He was her best friend.

Her best friend, that she just couldn't seem to fall out of love with.

The following morning the gang was meeting at Hollywood Arts so that Sikowitz could let them in the Black Box Theater to borrow supplies needed for Jade's play. It was almost 9:30 when Jade, Beck, Cat, and Robbie met each other at the steps and walked into the school together.

Andre was running late from his breakfast with his dad and was picking up Tori afterwards.

"The school seems awfully lonely." Cat noticed, swinging Robbie's hand, "There must not be a lot of kids here for summer school."

"I was thinking about changing my locker this year," commented Robbie," maybe less about my childhood and more about my happiness with you, Cat."

"That is sweet" Cat stood on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss against his mouth, "oh, I know! You could decorate it with like your guitar picks cause that would be creative, Robbie, and maybe cupcakes too."

"Maybe you could help me with it, sweetie."

"Kay kay, cause that would be sooo fun" enthused Cat, hugging his side.

"Guys," reminded Beck, "we just got out of school. I have another three months before I have to think about school. I'll thank you to kindly let me enjoy them."

"Sikowitz said he would meet us in the Black Box," interrupted Jade, striding around the corner, "So stop your yapping and let's go. We still have a lot of work to do, not to mention figuring out how much of it will fit in the RV and how much we'll have to actually buy when we get to Seattle." Her face was flushed as her hands darted around.

"Grumpy…"Cat whispered into Robbie's shoulder.

"I heard that, Cat" Jade snapped as her friend let go of Robbie's hand and jogged to catch up with her, leaving Robbie and Beck following behind them.

"So, Jade, you're really nervous about your play," Cat said, "you shouldn't be though. It's really wonderful and romantic...if I didn't know that you wrote it, I would still really love it. I just know that everyone at the festival is going to love it too."

"Yeah, well, I want people to love it," said a grudgingly Jade, leaning against the wall, "look I'm….I shouldn't have let Vega drag me and Beck over to check on you when clearly you were occupied with Robbie. So, I'm…" she sighed, apologies were not her forte, "I'm sorry."

Cat smiled at her friend. "I know Jade. It's really fine."

"So, how are you doing, Cat?"

Cat twisted her hair and managed a wan smile. "I'm fine now, Jade. I mean, I'm still worried about Steven and my family, but Robbie takes really good care of me. He makes it hard to be sad or upset about anything."

Jade studied her face and found that her friends brown eyes were bright and she appeared to be her normal cheery Cat self this morning. "You and Robbie play all new pirates?"

Cat blushed, prettily. "NO. Jade! No, and it's not like that…I mean, Robbie and I were just kissing!"

Jade smirked, "Right, Cat, and Beck and I were just playing Candyland."

"Robbie and I aren't like that ….and that's private stuff, Jade."

"Ah, Jade! Cat! it's much too early in the morning and I haven't drank nearly enough coconut juice to deal with all the sordid details ofyour teenage love lives, please." interrupted Sikowitz, who was dressed for the summer in bright red and orange paisley shorts, a yellow tank, and a garish Hawaiian print shirt over that, "Jade, your play is brilliant but I beseech you to use good judgment when putting it on at the festival. You do not need the Samuel and Morgana love scene -no matter how shocking and passionate it is."

"Spring Awakening had a love scene," Jade retorted in defense, "it was more awkward sex than the scene I wrote for Love's Lament. Beck and I can totally pull it off …."

"No one in the festival audience is going to want to see you and Beck 'pulling it off'," stressed Sikowitz, crossing his arms over his chest, "you have already been noticed by the committee, Jade. You received a letter from the festival committee through the school."

He handed her a sealed envelope. "Deep down past your twisted, bitter soul, Jade, lies the heart of a brilliant writer and director. This is your shot, Jade, so don't blow it."

Jade took the letter from him. "I won't blow it …but thanks for your words of encouragement" she said sarcastically.

Beck came up and placed an arm around her shoulders. "Hey Sikowitz! Thanks for letting us borrow the props. It'll really save us." He turned to Jade "Babe, whatcha reading?"

Jade handed him the letter. "One of the top drama departments is excited to see my play ….they selected Love's lament to be featured inside in one of the main theatres during the festival, Beck!"

"Wow that is awesome!" Beck kissed her cheek, "I am really proud of you "

Jade touched her heart and a smile broke across her face.

This was really, really good. She would prove to her father that she could make something out of her dreams and she would be successful doing what she loved.

"I have sent off some recommendations myself," informed the acting teacher, "Well Wishes was well received here when you put the play on. And your re-audition piece for Helen was…in a word…disturbing. Still gives me nightmares, but it was clever. I beg of you not to ever bring up Clowns Don't Bounce …that was too scary and evil. It was Scevil..."

"I worked my butt off on that live performance, Sikowitz!"

"It was disturbing, Jade, and demonic. We want you to get into college, not the third ring of hell. You can't frighten them away from even considering you."

"Oh."

While Jade and Beck were talking with Sikowitz, Robbie and Cat were backstage with a copy of the script. He was examining the scenes they would be performing and scouring through the props that they might need while Cat was perusing the costumes.

"Sinjin has a whole tote of peat moss …wonder if this can work for the forest scene."

"I think we need lots of trees and pretty green grass since most of the good stuff happens when Beck and Jade are in the forest together." noted Cat, finding a black cape among the costumes, glancing at her boyfriend, an idea occurred to her.

Smiling mischievously, Cat took the garment from the hanger, snuck up behind Robbie and placed the cape across his shoulders.

"Super Robbie …" giggled Cat, moving to tie it around his neck, "or maybe a cute vampire though I don't really like vampires but I like the cape on you."

"Come here, Cat, let me have a bite of that delectable neck!" teased Robbie, grasping her around the waist and pulling her to him as he pretended to nibble her neck.

"Robbie!"

"You smell yummy." whispered Robbie, kissing her neck lightly.

Cat wound her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him, deeply.

"It's just my vanilla perfume, Robbie. I wear it because I know you like it…."

He pulled the cape around them, covering her body as well and she laughed again.

"No harm will ever come to you, Cat, with Super Robbie watching over you."

Cat kissed his chin, "That is kind of…really hot."

"Oh brother!" groaned Andre, not unkindly, "can't you two do that stuff in private?"

Cat and Robbie colored in embarrassment. "Oh hey Andre …and we thought we were by ourselves,"

He chuckled , "So, Rob, if you're done playing Super Nerd with Cat , how about we dig out some props before Jade decides that she doesn't need our help and we have to stay around her while everyone else goes off to Seattle."

"Yuperrooni."

Cat let go of Robbie and glanced around the back area. "Did Tori come with you, Andre?"

"Yeah, think she's still on stage. Jade was giving her the set list."

"I need to talk to her," decided Cat, their argument still weighing on her mind, "and Robbie, don't forget that you promised me you would apologize to her."

Her boyfriend heaved a sigh, "I hadn't forgotten. I'll talk to Tori later …"

"I am going to talk to her now …." Cat nodded and headed towards the stage to find her friend, "I'll be back in a boo." She said, skipping toward the stage.

Andre turned and took in his friends get up - blue plaid shorts, a blue tee shirt, and a black cape.

"You trying a new look, dude? Robbie Shapiro the vampire nerd."

Robbie straightened and removed the cape. "My girlfriend thinks I look hot so I don't care what you have to say, Andre Harris."

"Man, Cat has you totally wrapped."

A happy grin split across his face and he couldn't deny it. "I love Cat. I wouldn't have it any other way …and you brought Tori with you?"

"She needs me." declared Andre, more to himself than to his friend, "We need each other. The girl is just too bugged out to realize it all the way yet."

'_But she will.'_He thought, following Robbie out towards the stage.

"Tori." Cat's voice was small as she found her friend sitting on the stage, "hi"

"Oh hey Cat." greeted Tori, putting the list down, "How are you? Are you alright?" she caught herself being pushy again and tried to back track. "I mean, we don't have to talk about it or anything. I mean, we can if you want but…well," she sighed in frustration, completely unsure of what to say to her friend, desperate not to make the same mistake twice.

Cat nodded and sat down beside her. "I think we need to talk, Tori."

Tori nodded, sheepishly. "I am so, so sorry, Cat. I was rude and obnoxious and I was way out of line...but I never meant to upset you. I hate that I upset you …And I really hate that Jade noticed before I did. I really was just trying to help, and I know that's not an excuse but…" she was tongue tied again. "I'm just…sorry."

"It's okay, Tori." Cat said, biting her lip, nervously, "I'm sorry too. I know you sent me all of those texts and I was really rude …..I should have texted you back so you would know I was with Robbie and that I was alright."

"Maybe, but I wanted the girls night so I could talk about my feelings, Cat, and that was so wrong of me ….really selfish and wrong."

"It was just bad timing," Cat said, twisting her hair, "and it's not that I don't want to talk to you or Jade about my brother but it's so painful. I just …..I didn't want to think about it or talk about it and Robbie just holds me. He knows what I need."

"You needed your boyfriend, not your crazy friend."

Cat nodded, "I'm really sorry, Tori. You promise that you're still not mad at me or Robbie? He was just worrying about me. I was a big mess earlier and I cried on Robbie and he doesn't like it when I'm upset."

"I was never mad at you in the first place, Cat."

"Good cause I hate it when we fight." murmured Cat, giving her a hug, "but now your sad, Tori. And that makes me sad. I don't think either of us needs any more sadness …"

Tori returned the hug. "I'm not sad. I'm way better that you and I are okay. And I talked to Andre last night about everything. I'm good...or I will be."

"No," exclaimed Jade, coming in to hear the end of the conversation, "this isn't some chizzin romantic comedy where we all sit around the Black box and share our feelings and cry .We are here to work on stuff for my play ….it is going to be perfect if I have to kill each and every one of you for it to be that way! Now where are Shapiro and Harris!"

"Harsh." Cat stood up, "Come on, Jadey. I was thinking maybe four costume changes for you. And I need to know more about what scenes Tori and Andre have if I am going to be sewing costumes for them. I want to get started on that today …..I thought we could do that this afternoon when Robbie does his tutoring."

"I like the green velvet dress you made for the love scene, Cat" Jade said, "Sikowitz doesn't think we should perform it but I still want to use the dress. Beck's eyes will bug out of his face when he sees me in it …"

"You will look really mysterious and pretty in it," agreed Cat as she followed the girls back to the costumes as the guys were carrying boxes out to the RV ," Tori , your character is like the mayors daughter so you would have money . I was thinking I could get some silk maybe and make you something pretty and purple ….and I have an idea that will look really handsome on Andre "

"Isn't silk kind of expensive, Cat?" asked a curious Tori.

"Oh, I have a lot of leftover material from my Advanced Costume Designing class ," explained Cat ," and Mom picks me up material when it's on sale . I have all kinds of pretty and fancy material on hand at home …."

"Cool but nothing too frilly, Cat," Tori suggested. "Ana isn't a frilly woman."

"I know what I'm doing. I'm good at costumes. You need to trust me more."

Meanwhile the guys had carried the boxes of supplies to the RV outside the school. They were rearranging the boxes and talking among themselves while Beck deliberated on his fish tank. It might have to go.

"So, Tori and I actually really had a talk last night," brought up Andre, "felt kind of like it used to between us. I decided...well, I want her back." There, it was out. He told the guys and that made it solid. "I want my Tori back."

Robbie smiled at him. "That's awesome! I'm really glad to hear that. I think that you should just go for it with her, Andre."

Beck hesitated but knew he had to voice his thoughts. "That's cool, man, and I'm glad you still feel that way about Tori …"

Andre met his gaze and felt the tension in his jaw. "But what, Beck? I can tell that you got a but coming, dude, so you might as well spill it." He really didn't want to hear whatever advice Beck had to give where Tori was concerned but he wasn't really moving on from everything that had happened if he didn't .

Andre didn't want to be a damned hypocrite either.

"I think that you should give Tori some more time," offered Beck, truthfully, "she is going through a lot with her family. I don't know if she can handle you wanting to be with her right now …..Just a thought."

"I think I know Tori enough to know what she is feeling, Beck "

Beck lifted his palms in surrender. "I wasn't saying otherwise, Andre."

"Just so we're cool."

"I disagree with you," interrupted Robbie, "I don't think you should be afraid of trying again. You have to let Tori know how you feel about her …you have to take that chance. I was so afraid that Cat could never be in love with me...I made dumb mistakes. When all I really needed to do was tell Cat that I was in love with her and always had been …."

"I don't know, Rob, I think Tori might run for the hills if I said that to her."

"We agree on that at least." Beck said, sitting down on a chair to listen.

"All I know is that I am dang tired of being in this friend zone when I love the girl."

"Speaking of Tori," interrupted Robbie,"How mad at me is she? I feel really horrible about jumping down her throat the other night. You guys never saw how devastated Cat was before and things had been going so well and to see how upset my girl was, I think I lost it. I know I lost it and Tori didn't deserve it …"

Tori stood on the steps at the door along with Cat and Jade and smiled as she caught the last of Robbie's admission.

"Aww, I knew he was sorry. Robbie isn't mean …see, I told you, Tori."

"Hey guys," Tori made their presence known, "Robbie, take this tree for me "

"Sure thing, Torinator." Robbie joked, lamely as he helped her with a stage prop.

Tori touched his shoulder. "It's okay, Robbie. You're forgiven "

His smile was sincere and grateful. "Thanks and it won't happen again "

"You were just looking after your girlfriend." sighed Tori, "And I should have remembered about Cat's anxiety. I guess I needed the reminder but don't do it again"

Yuperdoo."

"Robbie that still isn't a cool thing to say." interjected Beck, taking the prop from Jade.

"It's stupid and old fashioned just like Rob …" smirked Jade, leaning against Beck.

Robbie made a face at her as Cat moved to stand in front of him, lifting her face for a kiss.

"I happen to like when Robbie says that."

Tori rolled her eyes and looked at Jade for back-up. "That's because you are just as silly and as old fashioned as Robbie, Cat," chimed in Tori , not in the mood for their sickening sweet displays of affection, "Kids our age don't say yuperdoo or phooey "

Robbie wrapped his arms around Cat's waist and sent Tori a smile. "Cat and I do "

"Andre, what time is it?"

Andre checked his watch. "Almost 11 …..We got a late start this morning."

"I can only stay and help load equipment for about an hour more," said an apologetic Robbie, "I'm tutoring Mandee and her younger brother at twelve -thirty in North Ridge. It'll give me some extra spending money for the trip ….did you get permission to take the board or is one available for us to use at the festival, Jade?"

"We have to bring our own ," answered Jade ," but it's cool, we can borrow whatever we need as long as we don't set it on fire or anything . I was surprised Helen didn't make me sign papers on it …."

"That is because Helen is terrified of you, Jade" cracked Andre with a wide grin.

"Let's just get back to work so that Robbie can go be a tutor and so Cat can start making the rest of our outfits " Tori took control of the situation," not that I don't want to hang with you guys all day but I do have to go home and deal with Trina "

"I don't want her riding with us " said Jade ," I can't believe she is our chaperone ….I was thinking we can lose her in traffic or bury her body in the canyon where wild animals can munch on her carcass like vermin …"

"Jade! She is my sister! Give it a break for like a day "

"That spoils my fun, Vega. Why would I want to do that?"

"Girls , let's just finish loading the RV so we can take a break for lunch " said a calm Beck as they all headed out of his mobile home and back into the theatre .

With everyone carrying some sort of boxes of props and the guys lugging the heavy equipment out to the RV, it was nearly loaded in the hour. While the others were taking a break for a Wahoo punch and gabbing with Sikowitz who hadn't left yet, Robbie and Cat walked together out to his car.

"I wish you could stay and have lunch with us." pouted Cat, "Only my Robbie would be a double tutor. They should at least treat you to a nice lunch since you are spending most of your day teaching them new things ….."

"Mandee's mother usually orders Chinese or something." Robbie took her hands into his and gazed lovingly into her big brown eyes, "I promise I won't starve. Besides you will hardly miss me since you will be my little sewing girl ….you'll be all day knee deep in satin and sticking pins in Andre and Tori."

"I wouldn't do that!"

"I meant those sewing pins you use," Robbie brought their linked hands up and kissed her palm, "I still think you are the most talented seamstress ever, Miss. Valentine."

Cat slipped her arms around his neck and smiled lovingly at him.

"You might be a little bit biased since you are my boyfriend, Robbie."

"No…well, maybe, but I don't lie!" Robbie covered her mouth with his and took his time kissing her, savoring her, and felt her sigh against his lips.

"Just say goodbye already!" yelled Tori from near the outside of the RV.

Cat giggled and tapped his glasses back on his nose. "Don't work too hard."

"I won't," Robbie let her go, "and same goes for you, cutie."

Cat stood on her tiptoes and kissed him again. "I'll see you tonight."

Robbie got in his car and started it up, calling out "Love you, Cat."

"Love you too."

Tori marched over to her friend and grasped her gently around the shoulders.

"Back to work , Cat." ordered Tori, not unkindly, "You still have like eight stacks of costumes you haven't made up your mind about and you'll be the one explaining to Jade why you've spent the last fifteen minutes playing kissy face with Robbie."

Cat giggled, "Kissy face …I like that."

"To the Black Box, Cat, and please focus on the play and not your boyfriend."

Sikowitz watched the girls as he leaned against the side of the doorway, shook his head at their antics, took another sip of the potent coconut juice, and couldn't help but be thankful the teenagers were heading to Seattle without him.

He had a feeling it would be a trip that his favorite students would never forget.


	5. Chapter 5

Carly Shay was lonely.

She, Freddie and Sam had just finished filming another segment for iCarly. During filming they managed to keep it professional, or at least as professional as one could expect from Sam and Freddie. During those sixty minutes it was easy to forget that they were together; that they had a relationship and she had…well, a web show and no romantic possibilities for speak of. She loved those sixty minutes. But now that the show as over Sam and Freddie were back to be all couply , bantering in their playful way and pausing to exchange a kiss or two.

Not that they were acting all super lovey dovey because they weren't. That wasn't Sam or Freddie, but anyone watching the newly reunited couple could tell that despite the natural insults being thrown at one another, they were in love. Carly was happy for her friends but watching them reminded her just how alone she was.

She missed being a part of a couple, missed being in love and the rush of feelings and emotions that were part of the love package. She had been boyfriendless for way too long now. Or maybe there just weren't any more interesting guys her age left in Seattle.

Carly sighed to herself and glanced over to her two best friends who were holding hands and having a heated discussion about ham.

"Hey Carls," called out Sam, "chow time, kid. I'm starving and Freddie is taking me out for some meat ….you coming with us or what?"

"Caruso's has been advertising a new menu so I told Sam I'd take her there."

"Go on," smiled Carly , not really wanting to be the third wheel but not wanting to be by herself either, "I'll be down in a minute."

"Alright," Sam said, ready to get this dinner show on the road. She turned to Freddie, "This place better be good. I am in the mood for ham…and ribs…"

Freddie stole a kiss. "You wish is my command." He laughed and pointed toward the elevator. "You chariot awaits!" They disappeared downstairs and Carly tried her hardest to ignore the familiar knot of jealousy in the pit of her stomach.

Sam and Freddie really were in love. Carly couldn't even remember the last time she had been in love.

Well, actually she could. Steven. She'd given her whole heart away to him, only to have him break it for the girl in LA with the great cheekbones that was almost too nice to hate.

She missed having a boy look at her in that special way, with the smiles and sweet gestures that were only meant for her.

She knew that there were dull periods in the romance department but this was a full out drought. The only prospects in the dating department that she had going for her lately was too unbelievably short and sadly, it was Gibby.

Gibby.

She didn't even want to go there. Gibby was nice – but weird. There was no way she would ever seriously consider dating him. Let alone have an actual relationship with him which put her back at alone.

Carly paused by Freddie's computer which was open and still turned on and bent to examine her hair in it when a very cute curly haired guy wearing glasses appeared on the screen .

"Hey."

Carly found herself looking around the studio though she was aware she was the only one there.

"Oh, hey, uh, can I help you?"

"I'm Robbie. I don't know if you remember me or not, it's been a couple years since we met ….you and my friend Tori was dating cheatin' Steven."

"Robbie, hi," Carly brightened instantly, "Right . I try not to think about that…it was pretty bad. Did you want to talk to Freddie ? He and Sam are downstairs …I can go and get him for you."

"Benson forgot about our chat . No, thanks, it's not a big deal. Girlfriend trumps Skype any day and Sam doesn't like me anyway."

Carly smiled and couldn't help but to think how cute he was…and funny. Cute, funny and, hopefully, unattached. The wheels in her head started turning.

"Don't take it personally, Robbie, Sam hardly likes anyone."

"I just wanted to let Freddie know that we're planning on leaving here Friday morning so it will probably be a couple days before we get to Seattle."

"You and your friends are coming for the Shakespeare festival, right?" Carly tossed her hair flirtatiously off of her shoulders and sent him a warm smile , "Freddie mentioned it."

"Right! And thanks for letting the girls stay at your place . It really saved us a lot of grief and explaining to the parents …."

"Glad to help," Carly felt a slight ping and sent him a megawatt flirty smile , "and you'll be staying with Freddie , right? He lives right across the hall…"

"Yuperooni." He said, "Well, I really need to be going. If you'll just let Freddie in on the details and tell him I'll call him tomorrow I'd appreciate it, Carly."

"Sure thing!" Carly beamed, "So…I guess I'll see you soon?"

"I'll be looking forward to it…"

"Me too! I can't wait!"

"Bye Carly,"

Carly gave him a final smile before shutting down the chat and closing Freddie's laptop. As Carly left the studio, there was a spring in her step as she skipped downstairs to the living room to join her friends , feeling much better than she had in weeks and thought it might be because of the cutie in the glasses .

It was a good feeling .

"I'll be looking forward to it…"

"Me too! I can't wait!"

"Bye Carly," Robbie said, ending the conversation as Cat walked into his room/

Cat paused upon hearing the female voice onscreen and paused to notice the pretty girl being flirty with her boyfriend. She frowned as she sat down on her boyfriend's lap and waited patiently for him to go offline .

"Hi."

"Hi yourself , Cat." Robbie bent to kiss her, "How was your day ? Did you finish making Andre and Tori's costumes for the play ? I wasn't expecting you this early …"

"It was good ," Cat brushed off her slight worry about the girl as silly , "who were you talking to ? It didn't look like Freddie …I thought you guys always talked at this time before you played your galaxy war"

"Oh, it was just Carly ," dismissed Robbie , "Freddie was with Sam, apparently , so I just gave her the info for her to relay back to him."

"Oh , I see"

"Why do you seem sad , sweetheart ? Did something happen that you want to talk about ?" Instantly Robbie went into worried mode and took her hands into his , as he tossed his earphones across the room and on his desk .

"Is it about your brother , Cat ?"

Cat shook her head . "Nothing ," admitted Cat, softly , "it was weird again today while I was sewing the costumes . I just feel really bad for Tori and I don't think I've ever seen her so stressed before ….and she is super jumpy around Andre I noticed."

"Though she told me and Jade that she and Andre actually talked , really talked like when they were a couple but I think she might be a little afraid of him which is silly."

"Andre wants her back."

Cat brightened at the thought . " Goody ! I think that Tori still loves him but after the thing with Beck, she is seriously messed up about her and Andre."

"I told Andre that he should just be honest about his feelings for Tori."

"You had trouble telling me how you felt about me , Robbie ," spoke up Cat , quietly , "I think that Andre should just do what feels right to him with Tori"

"That was different , Cat ! I was afraid you couldn't reciprocate what I felt for you and I knew I couldn't take it if you rejected me , sweetie"

"We were falling in love, Robbie . I thought I was pretty obvious ….."

"I was scared and an idiot " Robbie studied her face , trying to determine her mood .

She didn't seem upset or angry but he didn't want to rehash all the mistakes he'd made before they'd finally gotten together. They were many.

"I'm glad that we don't have those problems anymore , Robbie." Cat toyed with the curls at the nape of his neck, "I just don't like that Tori is so unhappy."

"You're a good friend , Cat, and I am sure our trip will shake the Torinators' mood."

Cat frowned, slightly. "I don't like when you call her that."

"It's just a nickname. Andre calls you Lil' Red."

"Andre never had a crush on me," Cat hedged unable to disguise how much it had been bugging her, "and I trust you, Robbie . I trust Tori and I know she would never do anything either but it ..it just seems a little too ..intimate. I like being the only girl you have pet names for."

Robbie scoffed . "Cat, where is this coming from ? We're all friends."

"I don't know , Robbie , but I can't help it if I don't like it ," Cat moved off of his lap, "it's probably silly and everything but that's how I feel . It's ….it's why I don't like it when you call me baby cause you used to be all disgusting when you hit on Tori and Trina and called them baby …."

"I only called you baby that one time , sweetheart , and I stopped as soon as you said so." Robbie's brows knit in confusion. "I'm confused Cat. You're suddenly mad and it's…it's like you're trying to pick a fight."

Cat crossed her arms over her chest . "I know and I'm not trying to pick a fight with you or anything but Jade told me I need to tell you about the little things that bug me too . So I am and I can't help it if you think I'm being…unreasonable."

Robbie moved to tilt her chin up and pressed the softest of kisses against her mouth and felt her sigh against him. " I don't think that. I guess I never realized that you felt this way." He pulled her in close, "You know you are the only girl that I love , Cat."

Cat slid her arms around his neck, "I know , Robbie . I'm silly ….and horrible. I think I had too much thinking time while I was making costumes this afternoon."

"You are not either of those things ," Robbie led her over to the couch and they settled together on it , comfortably, "It's just that…we've, uh, never really talked much about my past ..crushes …other than me reassuring you I wasn't interested in the Vega girls romantically anymore,"

Cat bit her lip. "You do anything that Tori asks of you ..and I know most of it is because you're just so nice, Robbie . The nickname just bugs me …..and I ..I shouldn't ..I don't want to be the kind of girlfriend who tells you what to do either."

Robbie wrapped his arms around her ." You aren't doing that, Cat , and I should have realized it bugged you. No biggie ….and I wish that you didn't have old boyfriends coming out of the woodwork to compare me to either."

"What old boyfriends ?" Cat turned in his arms , pursuing her lips at him .

"Hunky beach guy with the muscles."

"I never dated him, Robbie ," insisted Cat in defense , "and I can't help it if I had other boyfriends before you." She felt the slight rise of panic in her chest and tried to tamp it down before her anxiety flared up again, "I knew I shouldn't have said anything ! I really don't want to fight with you…..I hate fighting."

Robbie blew out a breath and his eyes locked with her brown eyes and held .

"We aren't fighting , we're talking like couples do ," He lifted her chin slightly and his tone was tender, "and now that we've talked about it , we're good , Caterina."

Cat touched the side of his face and kissed him, gently . "I'm not calling you Robert."

His eyes crinkled in amusement behind his glasses . His ex-girlfriend Roxanne had called him by his given name but Cat thought it was too stiff and yucky .

"I know."

"Dad said that the new medicine they have my brother on is working really well and he's doing just fine at the hospital." Cat said, changing subjects on him again, "they haven't had to hide his med in his food like mom and I did. That's one good thing . Right ?"

"That is very good news."

"I just really wish I could go visit him before we got to Seattle but Mom and Dad don't want me too. They say it might upset me." She frowned.

Robbie held her closer . "I would love to take you to check up on him, Cat, but if he isn't acting like himself I wouldn't want it to upset you. Can he have phone calls yet ?"

Her voice was low . "No , not really."

Robbie pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'm sorry . I would do anything to make you feel not so sad but we just have to focus on the fact that your brother is going to get better."

"It's difficult sometimes " Cat rubbed his chest with her hand , lightly ," and I 'm really trying to handle it better." she let out a long sigh , "and I don't think I want to talk about this anymore . I'm making myself sad and I don't want to ruin our night …that's no fun"

"I saw that your Dad is home . He actually spoke to me when I was coming to see you ," brought up Cat , playing with the buttons on his shirt , "he usually gives me a mean look and goes back to reading his newspaper . I really don't understand why he doesn't like me, Robbie"

Robbie sighed, heavily and wished it was simpler. His relationship with his father was strained at best and nothing he ever did was good enough for the man .

"It's not you, Cat . He's disappointed in me because I'm not following in his footsteps in my life or dating a Jewish princess …."

"Ooooooh, that's why he hates me ! I'm not Jewish or a princess , Robbie."

"It doesn't matter what he thinks about me or about us anymore ," said a bitter Robbie, "I'm tired of trying to please him. You are my girl and I love you and that is all that matters to me ….that and I do not want to go to law school."

"I thought you wanted to write "

"I do want to write and I think I can be a good one " declared Robbie , who had a more prominent blog on the Slap this year ," and you know what, I think you and I need to get out of the house . How about we go see if Beck and Jade want to hang out with us tonight?"

"What about Tori and Andre too ?"

"You mass text them and I'll drive us to Beck's house" Robbie moved to lift her from his lap when she curled herself closer to him and drew him into a long, leisurely kiss that had him maneuvering her onto the soft couch beneath them as he returned her kisses .

She tangled her hands in his curls and kissed the side of his mouth. " Robbie"

"or we could just stay here and make out all night" muttered Robbie , caressing the soft skin where her tank top had ridden up , "which, for the record, I'm totally in favor of"

She giggled and wound her arms around his neck , "Or we could play pirates"

He lifted a brow and saw the mischievous glint in her brown eyes.

"I thought you didn't like how I played pirates , Cat"

"Nooooo, not exactly and we weren't a couple when you played pirates with me ."

He kissed her shoulder and grinned sexily at her. "So I can swing down a mast like Errol Flynn and save my pirate lady then ravish you , my dear"

"That is so romantic"

"Except I don't have a ship or a mast" teased Robbie , smoothing her red hair from her eyes , "though I suppose we could pretend"

"Mmmhm"

"Pirates . Dude , that is hot"

Robbie and Cat froze as they tried to find the source of the voice .

"W..what was that ? Did you leave your phone on speaker again, Robbie ? Cause it would be sort of embarrassing if one of our friends heard us ….like Andre"

Robbie grabbed his pear phone and showed it to her. ' My phone is off"

"Puppet boy and Crazy Cat like some kinky chizz …..pirates . Really ?"

Freddie glared at his girlfriend , "Sam , shut up"

Cat and Robbie glanced towards the computer screen where a devilish looking Sam and a sheepish Freddie appeared to have been watching them .

"Oh no" Cat covered her face with her hands as a blush rose on her cheeks, "Robbie , I thought you turned off the computer!"

"You distracted me"

Sam smirked at the pair, completely entertained by Cat's embarrassment. "Gotta admit, I didn't think you two goody two shoes were into the whole role playing thing ," Sam couldn't resist , "kind of makes me want to throw up."

"We weren't ," protested a mortified Robbie as Cat sat up and straightened her clothes , "you don't understand . What do you want ?"

"This was private!" Cat said, frowning at the screen.

Sam chuckled , "Not anymore."

"Sorry , Shapiro ," apologized Freddie , "and ignore Sam. All we saw was you and Cat kissing ….never meant to interrupt you .but Carly said I missed you earlier."

Cat buried her face in the back of Robbie's shirt . " We can never have privacy"

"I'm Sorry , Cat ! It was an accident ! How was I to know Freddie would video chat me back ! I'm not a mind reader !"

"So, you guys are leaving California on Friday ?"

"Yuperooni . We figure it will take us a couple of days to get out to your neck of the woods and we wanted to make sure it was still cool if we stayed with you and Carly said it was fine that the girls stay at her house . Really just double checking to make sure we don't need to book some rooms at a hotel in anything."

"Mom said its fine if you guys stay at the apartment , T-Bow has a smoothie convention so a couple of you guys can stay in his room."

"Cool." answered Robbie , as Cat lifted her head from her embarrassment , "that's really all I wanted to talk to you about , dude."

"I'm embarrassed now." pouted Cat , under her breath .

"I need to burn my eyes out with hot acid or something to get the sickening image out of my head ," groaned Sam in response , "even Freddie and I ….we're not into the kinky nerd sex"

"Robbie and I were kissing ! We weren't having any kind of sex !"

Robbie felt color rise to his face and held her hand . " Cat, let's just ignore her , please."

"She doesn't make it easy too, Robbie"

"Well, try"

"I think I would rather us stay in a hotel in Seattle , Robbie."

"This sure beats playing cards with the gang" muttered Beck as he and Jade lay under the covers in his bed. He traced patterns on the silky smoothness of her back, "and the door is locked."

Jade lifted her head for a kiss . "Vega has been warned this time"

He chuckled and ran his hand through her dark hair , relaxing her . " Andre wants her back"

Jade turned her blue eyes on him, a questioning look in them. " Why are we talking about them ..right now, Beck ?"

Beck stilled his hands . " He mentioned it to me and Rob earlier and I hadn't had a chance to tell you about it ….its called sharing . You know like what Cat and Robbie do all the time in their relationship ? What I thought we have been doing ...oh, these last three months …."

Jade sat up, pulling the sheet over her chest and fixing him with a look .

"Don't get all tangled up in your underwear ," Jade made a face at one of the words that she hated , "fine . Sharing is fine and dandy . Yippee . Tori isn't ready for Andre to put the moves on her …she still thinks she's a cheating grunch since you and she locked lips"

She bit her bottom lip. " How do you feel about it, Beck ? Since you brought it up…..were you happy your friend still in love with Tori or what?"

Beck was cautious and knew he had probably opened up a brand new can of worms here but he was trying to be mature . " Frankly, yeah , it's good ," he said , "especially considering how bad all the chizz was a couple months ago. Andre's my friend and so is Tori . I agree with you that she isn't ready to jump back into a relationship again with Andre. I thought maybe you could talk to him since he seems to actually listen to you"

He still found it interesting that Jade and Andre had a different sort of friendship than they had with the others . They were friends and Jade never ever said one bad thing about Andre .

"Andre is a big boy, Beck. He doesn't need me to tell him how to get with Vega or not get with her and I won't . They might bore me to death with their stupidity but I am not going to hold Andre's hand and tell him that little miss southern peaches Tori needs more time"

"I thought we could talk like a mature couple about two of our best friends"

"We are talking ," huffed Jade , finding his flannel shirt and throwing in on, "and you're the one who is being awfully sensitive about Tori , Beck"

"I'm expressing concern for our friend because I thought you and Tori agreed that you are friends."

Jade got her back up and paced across the RV . " Vega and I are friends but I guess it still pisses me off that you guys still hover over her . Rob does the same thing and its stupid and annoying …..and do you even realize you guys fawn all over her like she's some kind of chizzin dessert ?"

Beck dragged a hand through his hair and blew out a breath . " We don't ..fawn over Tori"

"Got newsflash for you, Beck , you do . You, Andre , and Robbie are all guilty of it"

"We're just concerned friends" Beck took a cautionary step forward and dared to touch her arm, "babe , I thought we were past all this petty Tori jealousy . Is this what this is about ? It's a little ridiculous when all I was doing was trying to express my thoughts about a mutual friend to the woman that I love"

Jade lifted a hand in the air, frustrated . "I'm not jealous ! I'm just ..I don't know wazzed off that you guys have this pattern with Vega and I wanted you to be aware of it"

"She's like a…" Beck realized where he was going with this line of thought and stopped .

"you had better not say sister, Beckett Oliver , or you will wish you hadn't "

"I wasn't going to say that"

Jade glared at him, crossing her arms in front of her chest . " OH. Really ?"

"Really ," Beck gauged her mood and grasped her shoulders , "you are the woman that I love Jade . I probably shouldn't have brought it up but it's been on my mind since Andre and I talked and I wanted to hear your take on it . Not fight with you ….."

She moved in brushing her lips over his . " Fine, whatever, I'll talk to Andre if you're going to be such a girl about this"

Beck slipped his arms around her waist and took the kiss deeper . " Thank you"

He walked them back towards the bed, drawing her in, and kissing her with heat and abandon . " I booked us a room at a swanky hotel in Seattle , babe"

Jade lifted her face. "Why ? We've got a bed in the RV and everyone else is staying with Rob's friends"

"Thought I wanted to do something nice for you, jade"

"Cute" Jade kissed him, swiftly , "does it have a Jacuzzi ?"

"In the room" answered Beck as they fell on the bed, tangled together .

"I love you, Beck"

"Love you too, Jade"

"I am not going to spend days cooped up with you and your friends in that RV again," declared Trina as she took out a purple dress from the closet and examined it , "I'll chaperone your little road trip because Dad made such a big deal out of that . I am not your babysitter and I don't actually care about the festival and, so we're clear, Tori, I am not responsible for whatever crazy disasters you might get yourself into…not even if you end up in jail…again."

Tori looked up from her pear phone and the text from Andre . He was hanging at home writing a new song and sounding about as bored as she was which normally would have her inviting him to come and hang with her .

"We don't want you in the RV with us , Trina"

Trina added the dress to her maybe pile to pack and stared at her younger sister with curiosity . " Why are you even in my room ? Shouldn't you be hanging out with Andre ?"

"I don't need to spend every waking hour with Andre , Trina . He's working on writing a new song , Beck and Jade are together and Jade said I'm not even supposed to be thinking of calling or texting them if I want to live to go to Seattle . Cat is with Robbie doing ..whatever mushy stuff they do together so I thought it would be cool if we could hang and talk about ..things."

Trina eyed her suspiciously . " Who are you texting then ?"

"Andre"

Trina sighed and sat down on the bed next to her baby sister . " Tori, I think you're being a little too clingy . I mean it's good that you realized that I finally know more about life than you do but it isn't healthy and you're driving me insane to want to spend this much quality sister time together "

"You've got your first job and then you'll be going off to college ," cut in Tori , "and I'll probably actually miss you, Trina . You don't think this is nice ?"

Trina gave her an indulgent smile . " I think you need to get off your pity party and live again, Tori . You were a lot more fun to be around when you weren't jumping and snapping over every stupid ,lame thing …it's pathetic that Robbie had to yell at you" She paused . "Wish I would have seen it "

"Trina ! How do you know about it ?"

"Cat told me when I texted her to check up on her" informed Trina , "she is my friend too , you know"

Tori made a face. " Things are fine, again so thanks"

"So Mom mentioned that you and Andre were talking privately on the patio ," hedged Trina , "this sounds like a possibility . Just you and Andre …..like old times"

"Sort of but don't jump to conclusions , Andre and I just talked . That's all it was …two best friends talking ," explained a firm Tori , "I am not going to jump on the whole love band wagon with jade and beck or Cat and Robbie . They can have it , thank you very much …..I don't know if I even believe in it anymore"

"Tori, don't say that ," Trina's voice softened in a tone her sister hadn't ever heard from her before , "even I want to believe in love. Even though I don't think I've ever been in love really ….I still want it and you should too"

"Forever is a fairytale , Trina , and I'm pretty much done with those right now "

"Is Andre writing a love song ?"

Tori checked her phone then looked at her sister . " I don't know…he's writing a song "

Trina smiled at her . " Andre writes some of the most beautiful love songs I have ever heard and what's more …they have always been to you . It wouldn't surprise me if this new song was about you too and that sounds like hope and possibility to me"

"Who the heck are you ? Can I have my sister back ?"

"Stop texting the man and go hang out with him instead of bugging me while I am trying to pack for this modeling gig"

"It isn't Vogue !"

"I got a new waxing kit . Wanna help wax me ? I need to be perfect for this gig"

Tori made a face at the grossness of that and stuck out her tongue .

"I'm going to make some mashed potatoes and finish texting Andre"

In a huff , Tori went downstairs to the living room as Trina smirked at her .

"Maybe I should text Andre ..cause I can't take much more of the whining"


	6. Chapter 6

"" This is so exciting " declared Cat as Robbie helped her lift her pink suitcase out of the trunk of the car along with his blue one ," I've never been to Seattle before "

" It'll be an adventure " He placed their luggage on the ground and reached for his guitar to bring along for the ride as well ," and maybe we better make two trips with all this stuff "

" I don't want to forget our snack bag either in case we get hungry " Cat had fixed a insulated bag full of sandwiches , cookies and things to munch on during their trip.

" Hey , guys ," Andre called as he joined them , he to was carting his luggage and had his keyboard tucked under his arm ," what goes on ? You guys knock on the door , maybe see if Beck and Jade are moving yet since we're all here and they are in there "

They all glanced at the RV with a moment of ambivalence -no one wanted to interrupt Beck and Jade or take the chance of risking it . Before they could debate amongst themselves , the door opened , revealing Beck , who saw them instantly and smiled .

" Hey guys , come on in . Jade is just going through all the play list again to make sure we don't need to stop by school again, if we missed something . Where's Tori ?"

Andre glanced at his pear phone . " She's on her way ..she's riding with Trina "

Jade made a face as she directed where she wanted the luggage to be stacked in the corner as she double checked the sound board and the totes of scenery they had borrowed .

" Tori better hurry ,I am not waiting on her and her stupid sister ," retorted Jade ," its not like we need a chaperone . I am not listening to Trina about anything …"

" Mom wouldn't have let me go on this trip if Trina wasn't chaperoning . She's afraid that Robbie and I are going to do something bad ….we wont though "

" My parents don't care what I do ," told Jade , taking Robbie's guitar from him," I'm over here all of the time with Beck . I told them about the festival and that I was going whether they liked it or not ….end of discussion "

" Good morning everyone "

" Tori " Andre grinned asshe poked her head inside the door of the mobile home ," glad you came though I would have saved you from riding with Trina , you know "

" Thanks , Andre , but we had to get last minute lectures from Mom and Dad " Tori lifted her bag inside and plopped down beside Andre ," but we're soooo ready to go "

Trina stepped into the Rv and called out greetings to the gang then got to business.

" So I just wanted to make a few things clear before we hit the road ," declared Trina , pausing to apply lip-gloss ," this trip is not about you. I don't care about your little festival thing and this trip is all about my career and if any of you do anything , anything to jeopardize it , I will kill you "

" We don't care "

" Just leave already, Trina "

Trina ignored them as usual. " I am not riding in Beck's home and I will be driving my own car on this trip . Do not ride my butt in this heap of metal, Beck . Oh, and I will be stopping to waz when I need too also do not call me unless its an emergency "

" Trina , get in your car " warned jade , not in the mood for the older Vega sisters spiel .

" I don't care about your sleeping arrangements and I don't want to know about them either . I will be stopping at the nearest Holiday Inn to get my beauty sleep during this trip ….so don't lose me in traffic "

" Hotels cost money "

Trina reconsidered ," Or it might make more sense to bunk with all of you guys in here but I call the bed "

" NO One calls the bed but me and Beck "

Trina made a face ," Fine but I don't want to sleep on the floor , who knows when Beck actually cleaned it last "

" I have a housekeeper . The carpet has been vacuumed "

" it's still gross " Trina glanced at her pear phone ," and I'm not wasting anymore time with you guys in here . It is a long trip to Seattle and I cant wait to get out of L.A …"

With that she disappeared and headed for her car which was parked in the driveway of the Oliver house along with everyone's else's vehicles .

Her brand new life was a road trip away and she couldn't wait to start it .

Andre rubbed his hands together and glanced at his friends ." Lets get this show on the road . Who's driving first ?"

" Beck and I are taking turns driving first "

" I can drive when you guys get tired " Andre plopped down on the chair in the corner as Tori sprawled on the floor beside him playing with her phone .

" Cat , did you pee before we leave ? It's going to be a long drive out of town and we aren't stopping at every gas station just because you have the bladder of a squirrel "

Cat made a face." I don't have to go to the bathroom "

" Good " Jade grabbed Beck's hand and pulled him out of the mobile home to his car .

" Seattle , here we come ! " enthused Tori, excitedly as they began their trip .

Hour One

Andre sat on the floor keyboard in front of him playing with some notes as Tori lay sprawled out in front of him , playing Grumpy Gerbils on her pear phone .

The sexy scent of her perfume was so close it made it remarkably difficult to concentrate and breathe at the same time . Not to mention those incredibly short shorts and her long legs that kept brushing against him and making him want to forget about anything but kissing her .

He really , really wanted to reach over and lay his lips on hers right now even though it was probably a really bad idea .

Wash the dog, butter, brusssel sprouts …the girl is driving me crazy .

He took a swig of water and tried to think of something he was feeling to come up with lyrics but his mind wouldn't cooperate .

" Ha level 25 , I got to level 25 "

Tori held up her phone to show him as she leaned comfortably against his side . " Look , Andre , I am going to beat Robbie's top score on this "

He swallowed ," Uh huh I see, Tori "

Was she wearing that little purple tank just to drive him up the chizzin wall ?

Tori ran a hand through her brown hair and blew out a breath ." I wonder if Beck has the air cranked up in here because I am getting really hot already "

" Me too "

" The air is on " added Robbie from across the room where Cat was leaning against his chest while she texted Jade.

" Are you sure ?" gulped Andre , placing a very warm hand on Tori's leg ," cause I'm burning up in here and ….Tori is hot too "

" I can feel the air alright " added Cat , helpfully .

Tori leaned against him and sent him an understanding smile . " Dre , you alright ? The songwriting not coming along cause your not playing much ….."

" Cant find the rest of the lyrics ….."

Tori placed a hand on his shoulder and felt his muscle tense up " I could help ….I'm getting better at songwriting "

Was he working out more ? That was some hard muscle right there .

Not helping yourself thinking about Andre's muscles , Vega ' Tori berated herself and watched as a flicker of awareness and something else in his heavy gaze .

They both looked away .

Stop the world "

Man, why did she have to stop his world ?

Tori frowned and moved away from him, baffled . " Oh, I like that , Andre "

Andre dragged a hand through his dreads and tried to focus on anything but their closeness in the cramped quarters of the RV and the insessesant beating of his heart .

He was going to lose his mind ….how was he supposed to give her time when he wanted her so desperately ?

" That's all I've got …its getting very hot in here " Andre placed his keyboard on the floor , stood , and began pacing around the room ," someone text Jade ..tell her to crank up the A/C before I die "

" Kay kay , I will " Cat obligingly sent off the request text to her best friend .

" I don't think its that hot in here , Andre " pointed out Robbie ," its comfortable "

" Shut up, Shapiro, I'm burning up ! "

Tori sent him a puzzled look , caught his arm, and met his dark gaze and the air grew heavy around them , their attraction electrifying the air between and around them.

" Relax, Andre , it will be alright ," assured Tori , her tone lighter than she intended ," there's plenty of room and its really not all that closed in…"

" you ..you don't have any idea what I'm feeling right now, Tori "

She bit her bottom lip and forgot her train of thought ." Uh….oh "

"I don't know if I will be though , Tori ," Andre's voice was husky with undisguised emotion ," I ..I just don't know anymore "

" We could play car games …to pass the time "

He made a sound in the back of his throat that could have been a groan . " No …and the windows are tinted and made out of bullet proof glass thanks to Fat Biscuit "

The rapper Fat Biscuit had owned the Rv before Beck's parents had bought it for him.

" We can still see out …" interjected a helpful Robbie .

" Stay out of it , Rob "

" Staying out of it , gotcha " Robbie went back to nuzzling Cat's neck .

" We can do other things ….chill, Andre " Tori searched his face and stepped back ," we were stuck in here a lot longer than we have even been on the road ages ago. Remember that ? This is fun…this is nothing . No need for you to get claustrophobic "

Andre stepped back ," I'm not , I'm not , but I just cant take it ! I cant take it , man ! "

" Jade said she turned up the air , Andre , " read Cat ," and stop talking she said "

He ran a hand across his face and her words acted as like a balm to not act like a crazy person .

Andre blew out another breath and put some distance between himself and Tori .

He needed to figure out and figure out pretty quickly how to deal with his feelings for her and let her know there was still hope for them without driving her away .

" It's all good , yeah, I'm cool now "

Hour three

" I was thinking about our summer ," Cat traced patterns with her fingers across Robbie's knee and he laughed since he was ticklish ," so after we get back from our trip, I found a cooking class that we can take together "

His face lit up with love for her suggestion . " I've always wanted to take one of those "

Cat peered up at his handsome face and pressed her palm lightly against his cheek.

" I remembered ….it wasn't that long ago, Robbie "

He kissed the shell of her ear ." I can learn how to make you something besides spaghetti and meatballs "

" My favorite "

" you already know how to cook though , Cat "

" Oh, I know but it will be fun because we're taking it together and I can help you for a change , Robbie " She lifted her face for a kiss and felt his smile on his lips .

Tori watched them with annoyance and rolled her eyes in disgust .

" Guys , kids our age don't take freaking cooking classes ! Who takes those ? That only ever happens on romantic comedies and dating websites "

Cat bit the inside of her lip ." It's something that Robbie has always wanted to do and that we can do together . It's nice and fun to do things together , Tori "

" It's lame, Cat , and you're already a good cook so you don't even need to "

" It's …it's not really any of your business, Tori, what Robbie and I do in the first place " snapped Cat , irritation bubbling at her friends rude comment .

Tori sat back , taken back ." Well…."

She looked at Andre for back up ." What ? I'm really not surprised by this ….it is Cat and Robbie . Those two don't do normal stuff anyhow …don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it "

Tori crossed her arms in front of her chest ." I'm not in the mood for them being all couply …no one is that couply except for them . "

Andre chuckled ," good to see them happy together though "

So much for their talk helping her calm cause it looked like Tori was back to crazy again.

" It's our first real summer together ,' Cat played with fingers ," the other summers were nice but they don't actually count . Our first romantic trip together , Robbie "

" Lots of firsts ," Robbie was quiet so the others wouldn't overhear them ," sometimes I still want to pinch myself to make sure that its real and that I'm not dreaming "

She pinched his arm ." It's real and so are we . See and you shouldn't have to do that anymore , Robbie "

He pressed his lips to hers and took her under in the tenderest of kisses that had her melting against him, oblivious to anyone else in the moving vehicle besides themselves .

Cat sighed and loved how Robbie could still make her feel so much , how with just the simple act of holding and kissing her , she felt all tingly and melty and special .

What had started out as a simple ping to the heart had exploded into so much more .

She loved Robbie more than she had ever loved any other guy she had dated and saw so much more between them . A real future with Robbie .

This was so real and true .

Tori watched them with a growing touch of envy mingled with annoyance .

" They need to stop playing smooch face before I throw up on my shoes . I would rather sit up front with Jade and dodge her sharp scissors for 3 hours than watch Cat and Robbie make out this entire trip "

" You could hang back with me and take a nap " suggested Andre , lifting his head up from where he was lounging on the floor ," gonna be least another couple hours before Beck even pulls over for a pit stop "

" We're not old ! I am not taking a nap "

" I was looking at it more as sleeping in , Tori "

Tori stood and paced restlessly across the floor , pausing every few minutes to glower at the couple , who were still cuddling and kissing .

Exasperation filled her " Can you two not suck each others face off for 5 minutes ! Is that too much to ask for ! I don't think so ! "

The couple in question stopped to stare incredulously at the brunette as if she had suddenly grown two heads or had a personality transplant .

Jade liked to give them a hard time about them acting all couply but not Tori .

Robbie let go of Cat and adjusted his glasses ." Sorry , Tori "

Cat gaped unbelievably at her boyfriend . " Robbie , why are you apologizing ?"

" I don't know …it's a long trip and I don't want us to bug Tori "

She slapped his arm. " She can be ..bugged "

OOOh, why did he always have to be so accommodating to Tori ?

Irritation slowly began to eat at her and she tried to find the optimistic side to this but couldn't . Sure Tori was one of her best friends and she did have all of the horrible stuff happening with her parents which was making her act all crazy and weird but none of that had anything to do with her and Robbie, period .

There was also no good reason for her to be rude and mean about it either .

Tori seemed to be doing a lot of that lately and it was really starting to get to Cat .

Cat bit her lip and stared at Robbie who had his pear pad out now and was obviously not going to say a word to Tori about it .

" You know, Robbie and I aren't putting on a show , Tori ," muttered Cat , her tone a bit harsher than she intended so she softened it a bit ," if we …annoy you so much then go play Grumpy Gerbils or talk to Andre or something . "

" I've already done that and I'm tired of playing Grumpy gerbils already "

" Girls " Andre cut in , looking from the brunette to the redhead ," chill down "

There was a faint line of annoyance between Cat's eyes and he was getting a feeling that the cramped quarters was starting to get to both of the girls as normally Red would just laugh it off when someone teased her about her and Robbie making out all the time .

" That's it ," Tori raised her hands in the air in defeat ," I am trading with jade "

Andre didn't dare mention that Jade might not want to trade spots with her .

Cat brightened and grabbed a handful of her boyfriends shirt front " Robbie, where were we ?"

" Sweetheart , I'm looking up hot spots in Seattle for us to visit while we are there "

" I'm sure Freddie can tell you that ," insisted Cat , taking the pear pad away from him and placing it on the other side of him ," and wouldn't you much rather kiss me ?"

He rested his fist on his chin as if contemplating this matter which earned him another glare and a smack on the arm from Cat .

" Cat ! I was joking ! "

She folded her arms across her chest ," Fine but now I don't want you to kiss me "

Robbie groaned in frustration at the change in his girlfriends mood ," Sweetie, come on, you know kissing you is one of my favorite things to do "

" Well, I wouldn't want to force you to kiss me if you don't want to, Robbie "

" Robbie, dude , just shut up and kiss your Cat " cut in Andre , helpfully .

" Glad too " Robbie spun his girlfriend around and before she could protest or smack him again, he kissed her lovingly .

Tori shot Andre a dirty look and sent out a text .

" Beck needs to stop this Rv and pull over right this minute "

Vega was just asking to be killed and Jade was about close to strangling her , whacking her over the head with a shovel, and burying her body along the lonely stretch of road to Seattle. After Tori had sent her and Beck 6 texts simultaneously about needing air and wanting to join them in the car, he had relented and pulled over long enough for her to wedge herself between them , much to jade's annoyance .

" Would someone please tell me why Cat and Robbie have to be one of those couples who cant go five minutes without showing affection or being all lovey dovey ? She was never like that with her other boyfriends before Robbie and I know they are in love but the honeymoon phase should be gone by now "

" Why do Cat and Robbie do anything " pondered Beck, hands on the steering wheel ," I don't think you bugging out over them all of the time , Tori, is going to make them do it any less , just a thought "

" I guess soo…still Andre and I were never like that when we went out "

Jade sighed , narrowing her eyes in Vega's direction. " Oh God, this is boring and I don't really care but give it a rest about Cat and Robbie . Didn't you just make up with Cat over you being pushy with her in the first place so now your going to give her hell cause she and Robbie cant keep their hands off of each other ? I'd rather slam my tongue in a car door then watch them get all mushy too but I can ignore their love chizz . You need to relax and try going back to doing normal stuff with Andre…..the crap is done with . I know he told you that and you wouldn't be having meltdowns if you weren't still letting yourself bug out every time over every stupid thing we do "

" Jade " warned Beck, hoping this didn't make matters worse yet again.

Why couldn't girls understand how fragile and vulnerable Tori was right now ?

She was very aware where her best friend was concerned but he still didn't quite understand why jade took a different outlook regarding Tori because he still refused to believe that it was all jealousy . He and Jade had dealt with that already .

Which meant it had to be something he just didn't get at all .

Tori hung her head and she nodded in agreement ." I'm doing it again ! Even after Andre talked me through it …and this is why I am more like my Mom than Trina is , see? We haven't even made it to Seattle yet and I'm losing my mind "

" Yeah , you should have stayed home "

Beck shot her a knowing look," Babe "

" It isn't easy with Andre …..I ruined us and I know he said its past us but I cant lean on him . Not like before and it's really close back there …..and ..never mind, I cant '

" You cant what, Tori ?"

" She cant be any more boring than she already is because she still has feelings for Andre " groaned Jade , tired of this chizz already ," suck it up and move on , Vega, or talk to Andre and get it out there "

" I ..I cant do that, Jade ! We're just getting back on even ground since the you know .."

" Whatever , I don't really care but you annoyed me a lot telling me about how I needed to tell Beck that I wasn't over him so just trying to be ..nice here but okay "

Beck glanced curiously at their friend ." you really did tell Jade to talk to me ?"

" You were dating Kyra the grunch and Jade was clearly miserable , " repeated a frustrurated Tori ," yeah, I told her that a lot but I don't think she actually listened "

Jade tilted her head in thought ," Maybe a little bit ..around beck and mine;s anniversary , I might have….."

" You didn't want to talk to me about our anniversary , Jade "

" Yeah, because you wanted to talk about it and it was hard enough as it was, Beck "

Tori slid her gaze from Beck to Jade ." Old news , guys , and you've been back together for months now . I just really need for us to get this vacation started ….and relaxing ."

Before she could share more , her phone went off and she picked it up, instantly .

" What do you want, Trina ?"

" I have a flat tire . I'm pulling over at the next exit -tell Beck he has to fix it for me "

" Don't you want to ask Beck yourself ?"

" No, you can do it for me and next exit " stated Trina , loudly .

" Ask me what ?" asked Beck, a curious expression on his mouth .

" Trina has a flat tire . Will you fix it for her ,pu-leeze ?"

" Sure ," agreed an amiable Beck," Tell the others we're pulling over at the gas station "

Trina managed to pull her car into the nearest gas station and Beck pulled the RV in after her . He had no sooner parked than the door opened and with Cat sprinting towards the restroom , Robbie and Andre headed inside the gas station .

Trina climbed out of her car, pulled her shades on top of her head as Beck and Tori approached her .

" What happened , Trina ?"

" I don't know ," Trina reapplied her lip-gloss and appraised him ," fix my tire , Beck "

" I'll handle it " Beck sighed and went to get his tools from the car .

" Thanks , " declared Trina ," I've got to waz and then I so need more tea "

" Need help ?" inquired Jade, who knew her boyfriend could change a tire easily by himself but she would make the extra effort to offer her help.

A slow , sexy grin tugged around the corners of his mouth as he stared appreciatively at her .

" No but thanks ," replied Beck," could use a coffee though "

" Got it " Jade pressed a quick kiss against the side of his mouth and headed inside the station where the rest of the gang already were.

Everyone took the opportunity to use the bathroom, stretch their legs, as they walked around the store , checking out the fountain drinks and the snacks .

Andre and Robbie were examining the sausages and nachos which didn't look too fresh while Tori and Trina were checking out the types of tea and lemonade in the cooler .

" OH they have Fadoodles ," muttered Cat , more to herself as she chose the bigger bag of the pouffy cheese for her and Robbie to share . He loved anything made with cheese .

" Hey Cat ," Jade approached her best friend , two large cups of coffee in her hands . Fuel for her and Beck ," what ..no licorice ? Figured you would want some candy …."

" We have candy in our bag in the Rv ," explained Cat, matter of fact ," but I'm going to surprise Robbie with these Fadoodles .Rex used to give Robbie a lot of trouble over them being a nerd food since they turn your fingers orange but I know he loves them "

" He is a nerd "

" Anyway, how is it with Tori ? I was kind of glad she wanted to ride up front with you and Beck instead of hanging with the rest of us ," Cat bit her lip ," sometimes I really don't like how Robbie acts around her "

" I get that ," said Jade in agreement ," thought I told you to talk to Rob about it "

" I did but its like whatever Tori says is super important or something . I love Tori and she is one of my best friends , Jade, but I'm a little upset that she expects my boyfriend to just do whatever she says sometimes "

" Beck tried to tell me she was like a sister to him "

Cat gaped at her ," Noooo , he didn't ? I would have smacked Robbie if he said that "

" Good thing Beck knows when to shut his mouth but it still makes me angry "

Trina took a sip of her iced tea and acknowledged them ." Your talking about Tori , aren't you ? You know it wasn't always like that …guys wanting to be with her more than me . Once she got into HA, everything changed and you would think she was the popular one "

" Tori is popular " contributed Cat , sending a text to her boyfriend .

" Who cares? It gets old and tiring …I mean, Andre would do anything for her . That's obvious but Robbie and Beck are you guys boyfriends and that makes it wrong ….she likes the attention . She always was Dads favorite, you know '

" I'm done with this " announced Jade as Tori joined them," see you, Vega "

" What's up with Jade ?" asked Tori, wrapping an arm around Cat and her sister .

" She was getting coffee for her and Beck " Cat said , off hand .

" Who do you think drinks more coffee ? Beck or jade ? " inquired a curious Tori .

" Jade ," squeaked Cat ," I 'm going to go pay for these and get back in the Rv "

Tori watched as her petite friend went to the register and looked around for the guys but they must have already headed back out . Had it been 15 minutes already ?

" Cat's acting weird "

" Sounded like Cat to me ," remarked Trina as her phone went off alerting her of a text which she opened ," oh that was Mr. Shay . You know , the artist, my new boss …."

" What does he want ? '

" He told me to drive safely and that he is anxious to meet me in person " Trina couldn't help but feel excited about this and her boss sounded really cool , too .

Tori made a face ," Let's go, Trina , before we lose anymore time "

Hour Five

Beck had finally pulled over for the night into a nearby Super Wal-Mart parking lot which allowed them all another use of the restroom break while Andre and Robbie had found a nearby pizza place that was luckily for them still open and had several pizzas still on hand , which would make supper for the group .

" We should make a table out of something so we can all eat a meal like mature people ," decided Tori ,surveying the layout of Beck's furniture with a careful eye ," I know I bet if we moved the couch around , we could use the yellow table thingie that used to hold your fish tank as a table then we can all sit around it "

" What does maturity have to do with eating pizza, Tori ? "

" Come on, Andre ," pleaded Tori, grabbing his arm, " help me "

Andre had no willpower where she was concerned ," Fine , I'll do it "

Tori hugged him across his neck," Thank you, Andre ! "

" We don't need to rearrange furniture ," retorted Jade ," there's plenty of room in here "

" That couch is super old and heavy " volunteered Beck, knowingly ," you cant move that thing by yourself "

" I can help " offered Robbie as they maneuvered over to the couch ," so, where do we need to move it to ? Not exactly a lot of corners in Beck's home here ….'

" By the closet, I think ," said Tori ," you guys are the best . This will be fun "

" Why cant we just sit on the floor like a picnic ? Those are fun " Cat bit her lip , watched as Robbie tried to budge one end of the couch by himself while Tori shouted out orders .

Was there some little part of Robbie that still had a crush on Tori ? He swore he was completely over that and she believed him but watching him jump hoops every time Tori needed him really bothered her again.

Tori was pretty much perfect and Robbie did like her first , even though she never liked him that way . Cat sighed and tried to decide what she needed to do about this …and daren't, she had just discussed this with Robbie .

GUYS !

Robbie wasn't suppose to be like the other guys …she blew out a breath as he caught her eye and sent her a special smile .

Cat relaxed and played with the hem of her shorts ," Watching them move a couch isn't fun "

" I'm not lifting a finger ," Trina sat down beside her ," I spent forty bucks on my manicure and im not risking chipping a nail for one of my sisters stupid ideas …"

" I think if you just move the corner, Andre , we can swing the couch around "

" It's kind of wedged in here, dude " said Andre , glancing on the floor and ignoring the random items with the expression of a dude who didn't need the visual of his friends sex lives .

" We found the couch on the street " reminded Beck," it was free. Don't you remember how we sort of shoved it in here to make it fit ?'

" Oh right ," realized Andre ," I had forgotten about that. We borrowed Robbie's Moms steam cleaner to clean it for two days before we even sat on it "

" I cleaned it, guys , because the dirty water grossed you two out ' pointed out Robbie

" Guys , I love you but stop reminiscing about the stupid couch ," said an exasperated Tori ," just move the stupid thing , please "

" Tori, where do you want this moved to ?"

" Drop it right there , fellas " ordered Tori as they let it go . She tried to move the heavy yellow table but it wouldn't budge ," why is this so heavy ? "

" The food is getting cold " called out Cat in a sing song voice , looking at Robbie .

" This is stupid ," declared Jade ," and they are all stupid for wasting time moving that piece of street junk ..I'm done waiting . I'm eating now …." she helped herself to the pizza and encouraged Cat to do the same ," you should to, Cat "

Tentatively , Cat took a slice of cheese pizza ." I was going to wait for Robbie first "

" He's busy being a moron, you might as well eat " offered Trina , helping herself .

" Trina , you promised me you would try to be nice to Robbie for me "

" He didn't hear me call him a moron …I was being nice ' told Trina with a nod .

" Ladies ," Tori glanced across the floor and found the three girls were talking and already eating without them ," help me "

Jade lifted her blue eyes to meet and stare defiantly at Tori. " NO "

Trina scoffed ," No way I'm helping "

" Cat ?"

Cat's voice was soft but firm." Sorry, Tori, but you already have my Robbie and the rest of the guys helping you ….sorry "

" It will only take a minute , Cat "

" You should just ask one of the guys to help you with the table too , Tori "

" Wait a minute , this isn't going to work ," Beck placed his hands on his hips ," we would have to move my bed first and I don't think it moves well …if at all "

All three glanced at the bed where Jade sat , eating a slice of pizza and glowered evily at them for interrupting her meal .

Robbie spoke for them all," Kind of late in the evening to be moving all the furniture "

" We would just have to move everything back too " agreed Andre as they all moved back and slid the couch easily back into the original spot .

" Guys , what are you doing ? Why did you move it back ?"

Andre put a hand on Tori 's shoulder ," Tor, this idea just isn't going to work out "

" It could , Andre "

" We never eat around a table at Beck's anyhow ," declared Andre, taking her hand and leading her over to the floor to sit by him ," see this floor isn't bad and we'll have us some supper…pizza is a lot better than those sandwiches we had for lunch "

Tori accepted the slice of pepperoni from him and took a bite ." it has been a really long trip so far …I think maybe we're a bit tired and cranky "

" No, not really " murmured Cat as her cell phone went off and she dropped the pizza .

She wiped her hands on a napkin and opened up the text message from her mom , biting her lip as the familiar worry churned again in the pit of her stomach.

" Sweetie , what's wrong ? Cat ?" Robbie peered worriedly into her face, watching as the color drained from it and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders , tightly.

" It's about Steven ," Cat's voice was barely a whisper as she typed out a response to her mom , hands shaking slightly ," he ..he had a ..bad reaction to one of his medicines "

Her voice broke , slightly ," He ..my Mom said he is doing better now and she is staying with him for a few days to watch over him . ….."

She dropped her phone and choked back a sob ," I ..need some air "

Cat stood and ran out of the Rv, leaving her friends watching with worry and exchanging looks before they all turned to Robbie but he was already heading for the door .

Cat had her arms folded across her chest , tears on her eyelashes as she tried to calm her breathing and think good thoughts for her big brother . It was difficult .

" Robbie, I know your there …"

Robbie came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her , tightly . " Do you want me to take you home to be with your brother , sweetie ? I know your upset and how hard this must be for you but I could have Beck drop us off at a car rental place and I could rent a car ..I could drive you back "

Cat stared lovingly at him," Robbie , that is sweet , and I ..one part of me just wants to go home and be with my family but ..but I know I cant do anything to help or Mom would have told me to come home . He ..my brother hasn't had a bad reaction to his medicine since …well, since the time he went to Japan with my dad….."

Robbie kissed her temple ." I can still drive you home if you want to go , Cat "

Cat shook her head and folded herself closer to him, resting her head against him, needing his strength and his love ." I wish I was strong ..like Jade "

" You are strong ," whispered Robbie ,smoothing her hair with his hand to relax her ," just in your own way . You know Steven is in good hands and I bet he'll get better a lot faster with your mom watching over him. Moms are good for that "

" Mom is the best ' Cat lifted her head up to meet his warm brown eyes , love and gratitude shining in her own eyes ," I'm okay now . I don't want to go home ….and Steven is going to get better while we are on vacation . I believe that "

" So do I " Robbie kissed her tenderly ," you want to go back inside yet ?"

" I suppose so …thanks, Robbie . I love you "

" No need to thank me ," Robbie linked their hands together ," I love you "

" Even though I'm kind of a mess right now ?"

Robbie kissed her nose , playfully ." Anytime, all the time , I love you "

" Come on then before the others come check up on us and me " Cat led him inside ," I'm okay , everyone . My brother had a little problem and I'm worried but ..I don't want to talk about it anymore tonight "

" She's serious , too " added Robbie , handing her the water bottle .

" How about a hug ?" asked Tori, opening up her arms to her friend .

" No, I'm good ," answered Cat, softly ," Robbie already held me , Tori "

" Oh …." muttered a confused Tori, a bit hurt by her friends reaction to a hug .

Andre shook his head as if to tell her to just let it be with Cat .

" Cat , have these " Jade handed her the bag of Fadoodles ," Robbie , go get her candy "

" Rightaroo ! Cat, where did we put your pink bag ?" asked Robbie , heading to look by all of their luggage which was shoved in a corner ," never mind , I'll find it "

Robbie turned back to look at his girlfriend ," Wait , you bought Fadoodles ? I love those cheesy puffs of goodness ,Cat "

Her smile was sweet ." I know and I thought we could share them "

" Good " Robbie opened up a medium sized pink bag recognizing it as belonging to his girlfriend and hesitating about digging in her private things began to look for the candy . His hand brushed against something soft and he colored when he noticed it was a lacy bra ," uh, wrong bag . I'll just find our snack bag instead …."

Tori sidled over to her friend ." Oh I never saw those in the gas station ! Cat, can I have some Fadoodles too ?"

Cat felt tension in her face and twisted her hair around her finger ." No, Tori, these are MY fadoodles ! "

" Yeah, Vega …. Why cant you get your OWN fadoodles …why do you have to keep takin them from other people ! "

" I'm not taking anything, Jade ," retorted an outraged Tori, with a light laugh ," I'm hungry for Fadoodles . Cat always shares …unlike you..I was asking ..I don't know what the big deal is when its food "

" Oh REALLY ? "

" I'm only sharing them with my boyfriend "

" I think you're being a little silly, Cat, but I wont ask for anymore fadoodles from you " Tori shook her head and rejoined Andre ," I think she is much more upset than she let on "

" Wouldn't doubt it " replied Andre , handing her his bag of sunflower seeds instead ," have some of my seeds instead "

" So I was thinking we could drive for a couple more hours then pull over and get some sleep ," decided Beck the leader ," Andre , you want to take the wheel ?"

" Sure thing " Andre squeezed Tori's leg ," you going to keep me company ?"

" Sure , I mean, I could ," sighed Tori , her smile weary and his hand on her skin making her all tingly ," maybe I could even drive for an hour even "

" No, baby ," chuckled an amused Andre because Tori was a pitiful dreadful driver ," you leave the driving to me and just keep me company "


	7. Chapter 7

Hour Eight

Andre finally pulled the Rv over into a rest stop for the night and it was decided that they weren't driving any longer that evening as they had made good time as it was . Trina had pulled her car beside the Rv, locked it up, and joined the others inside .

" So what are we doing about the er, sleeping arrangements ?" brought up Robbie as his girlfriend moved beside him carrying a pink pillow and handing him a blanket .

" I'm older so I should get the couch " declared Trina , sitting down on the edge of the bed with her compact to remove her mascara ," what ? I never sleep in mascara ..its gross and clumpy "

Jade glowered at Trina ." Get off the bed, Trina , its mine and Beck's "

Trina pouted ," As your chaperone, I don't think any of you should be doing anything ..inappropriate while we're all in here together cause that is just ..gross "

" I just want to sleep " announced Jade , kicking off her flip flops and climbing under the covers watching as Beck removed his shirt and settled in beside her , holding her .

" No fooling around " replied a serious Beck ," we're not into having an audience "

" That's a relief " muttered Andre under his breath ,as he set up a blanket on the floor ," just saying we don't need to know anymore about you two than we already do "

" Harris, if you make another crack about Beck knocking me up I'm going to shove those pretty white teeth down your throat and you wont speak of it again "

" I wasn't going to but now I'm defiantly not saying anything of the kind , Jade "

" Cat, you and Robbie should take the couch " suggested Beck , helping make the call for them ," Trina , floor "

" Wah , I don't see why Cat and Robbie get the couch ," whined Trina ," the floor will totally ruin my posture and mess up my spine "

Tori tossed her an odd shaped foam pillow ." Shut up , Trina , and here's your special pillow so it doesn't make your posture cockeyed "

Cat laid down on the couch and Robbie slid in beside her , taking her in his arms , and pulling the light blue blanket over them . She smiled sweetly at him and wondered if he could hear how fast her heart was beating as being so close to him .

Robbie let out a nervous laugh ," Are you okay with us ..you know , sleeping together ?"

Cat bit the side of her lip and nodded , shyly ." Yes "

Robbie relaxed and breathed in the soft vanilla that was his girlfriends signature scent and marveled once again how soft her skin was and how she tangled her leg against his as she got comfortable . " Do you have enough room, Cat ?"

" Mhmm ," murmured Cat , pressing a light kiss against the pulse of his throat ," its cozy like this , Robbie . Are you not comfortable ?"

Robbie blew out a breath," No, I'm good here "

" No ! " growled Jade, throwing a pillow at the couple and hitting Robbie ," I want to sleep and not hear you two snuggling or cuddling or cannodling whatever it is you and Cat are doing, KNOCK IT OFF !"

" Bossy " grumbled Cat, under her breath as she burrowed into her boyfriends chest .

" CAT !"

Beck ran a hand down jade's back to soothe her ." So you don't want to snuggle ?"

He couldn't resist teasing her even though he knew she was tired and unreasonable .

Jade lifted a brow ," I want to do a lot of things right now but since I don't want an audience to watch us, I mainly want to sleep, Beck , and you are cutting in on my trying to sleep '

Beck pressed a passionate kiss against her mouth to silence her ." I'm thinking the 30 bucks at the motel we passed on the last exit might have been a better idea "

" Not tonight , Beckett " Jade pressed a hard kiss across his mouth, turned away from him, and promptly went to sleep .

Andre and Robbie met Beck's gaze and they shared rueful looks of male puzzlement between them .

Beck heaved a sigh, " Goodnight "

" I hate this ! You know I need my beauty sleep and the floor is sure not the place for it "

Trina rearranged her pillow and pulled the blanket over her head with a disgruntled sigh and tried not to be aware of how alone she felt . Cat and Robbie were disgustingly in love and happier than a bunch of clams which was cool for them but it only made her realize she wanted to meet someone who really liked her too and would cherish her the way the nerd did Cat. Sometimes it was lonely being Trina Vega .

" I am sleeping on the end of this couch ," Tori tried to rearrange herself on the edge without falling off it ," Robbie, do not kick me "

Beck turned off the lights and everyone tried to settle to sleep so far , Jade was the only one managing while the others tried to get comfortable .

Andre leaned his pillow against the chest and watched as Tori turned on her side , grimacing and tried to stretch out , kicking Robbie instead .

" Hey, I didn't kick you so don't kick me, Tori "

" Sorry ," murmured Tori ," you know , this couch is really not comfortable , Beck "

" Its an old couch " whispered Beck , wrapping his arms around Jade and laying beside her .

Cat nuzzled her nose against the underside of his neck and traced hearts against his chest with her free hand . " You're always so warm , Robbie , and I love being this close to you '

Robbie was aware that they weren't alone and didn't want to have to explain a private conversation between him and Cat to the guys if they happened to overhear .

" I love being this close to you too, honey, but as much as I would love for us to talk more about this , tori is at the end of our couch and this is between us "

Cat frowned ," OH ….Oh …you mean …" she lowered her voice to a whisper ," you mean about us being ..intimate ..together "

He nodded in the dark and toyed with the thin lace straps of her tank top ." Isn't that what you were getting at, sweetheart ?"

" I guess..maybe …it should be between me and you only , Robbie "

" I agree ," Robbie kissed her shoulder ," too many ears in here . We should probably try to get some sleep especially if you and I are going to drive in the morning "

" Love you "

" Love you more "

" I cant sleep ! " announced Tori , tossing and turning . She felt lonely, restless, and edgy and it wasn't until she was sure that everyone was fast asleep did she slip on her shoes and tiptoe out of the Rv to take in the night air .

She pulled the blanket around her shoulders and tried to breathe in, breathe out .

" Still not sleeping good ?" Andre slipped an arm around her shoulder ," think Cat and Robbie are finally asleep after the twenty love you's or so …funny "

" it's a lot harder to relax than it used to be , Andre ," Tori's voice wavered at the admission ," my brain wont shut up and I don't like what its saying either "

" How about you lean your head against me and believe me when I tell you how amazing you are " Andre kissed the top of her head ," and we're pretty far away from your parents and you need to stop bugging over them like we talked about before "

" I still don't feel so amazing , Andre , and Cat is giving me the cold shoulder "

" Cat is worrying about her brother and you know that , Tori "

" It still feels like she is treating me awfully cold ," admitted a worried Tori," and I know how cold feels after the ..the incident "

" Which we're done rehashing cause we made it through that " Andre felt her relax slightly and curl into his shoulder ," we're almost to Seattle and then that's when the real fun starts . We are going to help Jade with her play and when we're not doing that we're going to take in the sights and have some fun together .."

" Maybe go to some fancy restaurant since we don't do that much "

" I bet we could fine us a fancy restaurant , Tor " Andre breathed in the sultry smell of her perfume and tangled his hand through her curls , stilling them when he realized what he was doing but Tori was quiet ," did you pack a fancy dress ?"

" I did " Tori wrapped her hands around his arm ," I missed this "

" How about a song to get you to sleep ?" asked Andre , their eyes locking and holding .

" One of your songs ? " Tori couldn't think anymore , she was tired and this whole conversation with Andre was as if the thing with Beck hadn't ever happened .

She settled more comfortable within his arms and vowed not to think about what it meant tonight . Tomorrow she would analyze it but for now , she just went with it .

Andre was content to hold her and with the moon shining down on them and the stars winking down and shining on Tori, he began to softly sing to her the words of his heart .

The song that he had written for her when he was first realizing it was all about her .

I don't wear designer clothes

I don't go to the finest schools but I know

I aint no fool, baby

I may not be a star

I'm not driving the sickest car

But I know I can make you happy, baby

I don't know what you been used to

Never been with a girl like you

But I can give you a love that's true to,

Your heart, not material things

Tori let out a yawn and burrowed herself closer ," I have always loved this song ..that you wrote "

I'll give you my song

These words to you

Sing you what I feel

My soul is true

I don't have the world

Cant give it to you, girl,

But all that ican do ( All that I can do )

Is give this song to you

Andre looked down at her beautiful face and found Tori a sleep and snoring lightly against his shoulder and felt a surge of deep and abiding love for her in his soul.

" It was always your song , baby ," Andre whispered as he lifted her in his arms and carried her inside the Rv to sleep ," my soul is still true to you, Tori "

Her response was a snore . Andre chuckled and placed her carefully on the blankets beside him and laid down on the other side of her before sleep took him too.

Morning

" Ow ! My neck hurts ! ' Trina lifted her head from the pillow and rubbed her eyes , blinking away the yuk behind them and knew she needed a bathroom ," wake up, you guys ! This rest stop needs to be open because I need to waz really bad .."

She grabbed her bag off the floor , pulled out a brush and began to brush her hair as the others slowly began to wake up due to the ruckus she was causing .

" Shut up ! Cant you see I'm trying to sleep " Jade turned over into Beck's chest and sprawled closer to him ," too noisy this morning . Need coffee …."

Beck placed his arms around her and woke her up with a lingering kiss .

" Morning, babe ," muttered Beck ," you have to get up if you want me to bring you coffee "

" I like where I'm at right now …" Jade pressed a kiss against the side of his chest .

" No fooling around in the morning either ," said a grossed out Trina , making a face of disgust ," make me want to yak and I still haven't had my breakfast yet "

She slid into her designer heels and make a loud production of slamming the door as she headed outside and inside the rest stop for the ladies restroom .

" How bad do you want that coffee, Jade ?" asked Beck, not wanting to move either .

He couldn't wait until they got to their hotel in Seattle and to be alone with her .

They hadn't completely thought through the sleeping thing , at all .

" Please , find me coffee "

" In a minute " Beck waited to see who would leave the Rv next before he moved .

Robbie woke up , startled momentarily , and found that Cat was stretched out on top of his chest and holding onto his neck, in her sleep. Her body was pressed close to his and she sighed in her sleep and buried her nose in his neck .

He wrapped his arms around her so that she wouldn't fall and hoped she wouldn't notice the reaction he wasn't to her being this close to him.

" Cat "

Robbie couldn't help but notice even in sleep how beautiful and pretty she was , her red hair spread out against her shoulders , her cute little nose , the soft pink lips , and long lashes against those deep brown eyes that could make him do anything with a look .

" Mmm, is it morning already ?" She lifted her gaze and found Robbie staring at her .

Cat felt a blush rise to her face ," Morning , Robbie . Did you fall asleep with your glasses on ? " she reached up and straightened them ," Not crooked anymore "

" Yeah ," Robbie brushed a stray strand of red hair off of her face ," did you sleep good , sweetheart ?"

" Yes ," whispered Cat ," I like sleeping in your arms, Robbie . "

He caressed her arm with his fingertips ." I enjoy it ..you sleeping in my arms too "

Cat leaned in to kiss him." Good morning "

Jade groaned ," If Beck and I aren't having morning sex, neither are you too !"

Robbie and Cat both colored in embarrassment and she buried her face in his chest .

" At this point , I'm going to see if this place has a cold shower " Beck hopped out of bed, around Jade, grabbed his shirt , and slid into his sandals and sprinted outside .

Cat jumped off of Robbie and into her sandals then grabbed her bag .

" I'm going to the bathroom "

Robbie groaned and covered his hands with his face ." I need a shower too "

" Ugh , I don't want to hear about anyone of you having sex " groaned Tori, waking up and finding herself pressed against Andre's hard, warm side of his chest ," Oh "

She felt her hair and realized she had sleep hair and that it was sticking up all over the place and did her best to straighten it even as her eyes swept over how handsome Andre was . Her heart pinged and ricocheted back and forth and she pressed a hand against it as if it would still the pounding that was going crazy like a gong in her chest .

" No one is having sex , Vega " grumbled Jade, sitting up ," you look gross "

Tori made a face at her ," Did I ..how did I wind up sleeping next to Andre ?"

" I don't care …I really just want some coffee and food "

Andre stirred and opened his eyes to find Tori smiling nervously at him, " Hey "

Tori colored realizing that he had caught her staring at him and struggled to speak.

" Hey "

The corners of his mouth lifted in a smile that could only be called unbelievably sexy andTori had never been immune to it .

She still wasn't ." I don't remember coming back inside last night "

Andre brushed a strand of brown out of her face and smiled at her ." That's cause you conked out and I carried you in, Tori "

" Oh, thanks for that ," Tori licked her lips and wished she didn't have fuzzy brain around him this morning ," I did sleep really good though "

A teasing smile worked its way around ," You were snoring logs too "

" Andre , I don't snore ! "

' you do too snore " Andre couldn't resist teasing her and felt as if somehow their chat last night had opened up a new start or a part of something with them ," and you got some funky hair going on there this morning "

" OH God , just do something already " groaned a disgusted Jade ," its too early for this kind of chizz and I haven't had my coffee yet "

Tori took that as her cue ." I'm going to the rest room "

She grabbed her bag and took off into the rest top , leaving a bewildered Andre .

" Thanks a lot, Jade , for interrupting a moment ," groaned Andre ," been working on finding me and Tori something close to a real thing between us and now you go and ruin it for me . Thanks a lot, Jade , really appreciate it "

" Stop being a big baby ," retorted Jade ," and now we're even , Harris "

" Gank "

" Player "

" THink I'm going to go find Cat " declared Robbie , leaving them alone to bicker .

Once everyone had finally got moving , they decided since they were making good time that it wouldn't hurt to stop and have some breakfast before they continued on to Seattle .

Tori had discovered that the nearest IHOP was only 5 miles away and so they headed there , eager to have a real breakfast instead of the pop tarts that Cat had brought with her .

The gang piled out of the Rv, the guys and Tori leading the pack to the front door , with stomachs rumbling and anticipating morning goodness while Jade , Cat, and Trina followed behind them at a slower pace .

" I'm starving ," announced Beck ," I think I could the whole breakfast platter all by myself . I might not even share my pancakes with jade …."

Andre and Robbie shared a fearful look .

" That doesn't sound so wise "

" Jade will get a breakfast burrito and coffee " declared an unphased Beck , as he and Robbie held the doors open for Tori so she could enter .

" Thanks , you guys ," said Tori ," I am so hungry , I could eat everything this morning "

The door shut loudly in Jade's face and she took a minute before the anger worked its way up to the pit of the stomach.

She hadn't had nearly enough coffee this morning .

" You've got to be kidding me ! Really , Beck ?"

" Well, that was super rude " chimed in Cat as she and Trina followed their friends inside .

Robbie had been just as bad and he was supposed to be a gentleman .

" What ?" Beck turned around and recognized the anger in Jade's blue eyes ," sorry, babe, I was just joking about the pancakes "

" I don't care about any stupid pancakes ! Did you mean to just slam the door in my face after you made sure Tori got your knight in shining armor routine ?"

" Crap "

Beck winced ," Jade , it was an accident , babe . I'm sorry . Lets not fight "

She arched her brow ." You just forgot to open the door for your girlfriend but its perfectly fine since its lets be all manly and cater to Tori again ! "

Beck blew out a breath and knew this wasn't going to end well ." Babe , come on ," He was determined to try again ," we're in public , lets not do this here . I wasn't catering to Tori and you always open your own door "

Damn, shouldn't have said that last part .

" Thought we were trying new things this time , Beck , like you opening my doors "

" Robbie usually always opens doors for me '

" Except for this time " pointed out Trina, helpfully .

" It was one time and it's a silly thing really , Cat ' tried Robbie , noting that while she didn't look angry at him, she did look slightly put out .

" Its always about Tori "

Tori turned to her friend , incredulously ." Cat ! I cant believe you would say that ! "

Cat frowned , twisted her hair around her finger and met her friends gaze , hesitantly .

" You didn't like me and Robbie kissing and you told him to stop ," pointed out Cat ," which he did ! It's ..its like you have some magic power over guys or something ! I thought you were done with it but you still do it , Tori "

" Cat, sweetheart ," started Robbie , taking a step forward to touch her arm.

She smacked him away ," Don't sweetheart me right now either , Robbie Shapiro "

Robbie moved to stand beside Andre, a little wary. " Okay "

" Wait a minute ," interrupted a baffled tori ," how is everything about me ? Obviously you and Jade have a problem with me ..so what did I do now ? And I never ordered Robbie to stop kissing you Cat, I was just annoyed at you two "

Jade laughed , dryly ." What did you do, tori ? How do you not know ? I know you aren't that stupid ….boring , yes, but you just get your kicks out of having all of the guys tripping over themselves….gotta have all that male attention "

" Doesn't matter who's boyfriends they are as long as they are showering you with attention and tripping al over themselves and each other to make Tori feel better .

Is that what your mom does ? You get that from her , Vega ? "

As soon as the words left her mouth, Jade knew she had went too far and regretted it instantly .

" I DO NOT DO THAT! I AM NOT LIKE MOM! "

Hurt , Tori darted past Jade and ran back to the parking lot , jagged tears racing down her cheeks as the accusations hit each and every one of her insecurities .

She thought she had moved past that months ago but obviously she hadn't .

" Jade was way out of line "

Tori rubbed at her eyes , wiping her tears on her shirt hem ." Go back inside, Andre "

" Don't think so ," Andre put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her to him," jade knows she was wrong and I'm thinking , Tor, maybe without meaning to you give off the wrong impression . Your fun to be around and we all like to hang out but your still a girl and maybe it comes across wrong "

" Cat thinks I have control over Robbie or something , Andre ! trust me, Robbie is my friend and I ..I ..just ….I cant believe she would think that "

" Well, Robbie did hit on you pretty regular for a couple of years " Andre ran a hand through her brown curls ," but Cat isn't the type of girl to stay mad long . "

" Here I thought Jade and I were kind of friends finally and she is still pissed at me over Beck ," Tori clutched at his shirt front ," you believe me that I don't want Beck ! You told me that you believed me and I need for you to believe me so that when Jade kills me in my sleep I'll die knowing we were still good "

" Jade isn't going to kill you "

Andre cupped her cheek , softly ." Trust me , Tori , this is all a big misunderstanding with the girls . Your one of the guys and the other girls aren't ….so they don't see it the same way . "

" I cant be like my mom , I just cant be , Andre "

" Will you stop ," Andre's voice was soothing and warm ," you are wonderful, Tori "

She leaned into him," I don't know what I would do without you, Andre "

their eyes met, questions and longing in both their eyes and he wanted to close the distance and press his lips to hers to test the waters but was afraid to take the first step so he pressed a light kiss against her forehead instead .

" You wont ever have to worry about that , I promise ," Andre took her hand ," come on, I gotta good feeling that we get to see Jade apologizing over this chizz and that almost never happens "

A small smile crossed Tori's lips." Jade ..apologize to ..me ?"

" Betcha some egg white omlette and some biscuits and gravy that Jade is regretting it "

" Record it , Dre "

He laughed ," Your on your own there , Tori, I still want to live "

Andre led her back inside and found their friends were seated at a large table in the back .

" We're back ," Andre pulled out a chair for Tori beside him," hope you didn't eat without us "

Beck cleared his throat and sent a pointed look to his girlfriend ," Tori, I think there was something Jade wanted to say to you "

" Beck " said jade through clenched teeth but looked Tori in the eyes ," okay . Listen , uh, Tori, I ..I might have said ..said somethings ..I shouldn't have…about you , you know , being like your Mom . " She swallowed her pride and continued on ," That was ..wrong of me and ..I .I apologize "

Despite jade's reluctance , Tori believed that she was sincere ." Thank you , jade "

Cat twisted the napkin in her lap, nervously ." I'm sorry I accused you of wanting Robbie "

" You never accused me of that, Cat , and its alright " reassured Tori, simply .

" I was going too , I just hadn't gotten around to it but I was thinking it "

" Oh , well, its fine , Cat ," stated Tori ," you have nothing to worry about with me "

" Good " says Cat as Robbie reached for her hand .

" let's just order food and eat ," interrupted Trina ," according to this roadmap app I have on my phone , we only have like 4 or 5 more hours til Seattle "

" I'll send Freddie a text when we're closer and let them know where we're at "

" What would you kids like to eat ?" asked the waitress and the drama was forgotten for the moment as they gave their breakfast orders .

They ate breakfast with gusto and as if the girls argument hadn't even taken place and after paying their checks piled into the RV and hit the road once more .

Robbie and Cat took the keys from Beck to drive the last leg of the trip which seemed to cover the miles at a much faster pace than the first leg of their trip.

Everyone was contemplative the closer that they got to their destination, the play and the possibilities on Jade's mind as she relaxed against Beck as he reread the script again .

Andre and Tori sat side by side while he played around with lyrics on the keyboard and she rambled on about all the fun stuff they could do in between the play .

Cat watched the scenery go by , quietly and glanced at Robbie every so often, he was so serious when he was driving .

" I'm sorry if I made you feel like I ..was catering to Tori too " said Robbie after a half hour of silence between them ," I never meant too. Its just I know how upset she is about her parents and I always help her but ….its not romantic "

Cat folded her hands in her lip ." I know but it still bugged me "

" Are you mad at me ?' Robbie reached for her hand ," I would hate for you to be angry at me on our first vacation together , Cat "

" I was a little mad but I'm mostly over it , Robbie "

He squeezed her fingers ." Good '

Cat scooted closer to him ," I really don't mind you helping her a little bit but when you ignore me because of her is when it hurts my feelings a little '

" Gotcha " Robbie kissed her hair ," look theres a love bug "

" OOOH and its blue "

Trina cranked up the radio and followed the road , keeping an eye on the Rv behind her and couldn't wait until they arrived in Seattle . It certainly wasn't Chicago like her play she had written and performed years earlier at Hollywood arts but she had a feeling that this modeling job would open up a brand new world for her .

A world of new and exciting things for Trina Vega .

Without always living under the shadow of her baby sister , not that she didn't love Tori because she did , but it was her time to be now .

She swerved to avoid hitting a fast car and nearly slammed her Fizzenene sandals into the brakes hard when she saw the sign and a bright smile crossed her face .

Welcome to Seattle .


	8. Chapter 8

You smell so fruity

It's a pirate and you my booty

Arg, so move it in close and let me have my daily dose

Trina bobbed her head in time with her favorite song, singing along as she glanced idly at the busy streets of Seattle. She swerved her car over into the other lane, rolling her eyes as she looked behind her and noticed with irritation that Robbie was driving at a snail's pace behind her, pulling the stupid RV.

She glanced at herself in the mirror, driving with one hand as she applied another shiny coat of lip-gloss. She heard the motorcycle before she saw it, it's tiny horn blaring as loud as it could. Pulling her eyes back to the traffic around her, she slammed her Fizzenene sandals hard on the brakes, a moment too late, and screamed as the driver of the motorcycle smacked into her front bumper with a thud and then hit the pavement.

"Oh God!" she cried, more annoyed at the disruption than concerned for the man laying in front of her car, "He came out of nowhere!" Trina pulled the car along the side of the road, threw it into park and bolted out of the front seat; barely that Robbie and Cat had witnessed the accident and was finding a suitable place to park as well.

Trina tossed her designer sunglasses on top of her head and surveyed the situation. Much like L.A., pedestrian accidents weren't much cause for care in the drivers around her. Other than a few people honking at the obstruction in the road, not many people seemed to even notice. Trina walked over and noticed that attached to the motorcycle (that had hit **her** she might add) was a man.

He lay mostly still, his leg twitching from time to time. He was tall and dark haired and, from what she could tell, reasonably attractive. She bent down and looked into his face, moving his long hair out of the way so she could get a better look. 'At least I hit a cute guy' she thought. She gave him a shake and when he didn't respond she finally began to panic. 'Just out of high school and now I'm gonna have a felony record!' she thought.

"Hey!" she screamed into his ear, hoping to wake him, "Are you alright? Please don't be dead! I look really bad in orange!"

She beat on his chest and felt muscle underneath and, thankfully, a beating heart. He was alive. His low groans a moment later confirmed it and she breathed a sigh of relief. Finally able to focus on more than the possibility of going to prison she took a better look at him. He wasn't just cute – he was really cute. And he wasn't a boy…he was a man.

Spencer Shay groaned as he sat up, clutching his head , recalling briefly that he had decided to make a downtown run for some paint and possibly more groceries when a crazy driver had tried to run him over .

"OW! Man, my neck hurts …..like a son of a gun "

"Well what were you doing jumping in front of my car?" she said accusingly. "Thank God, you're not dead, but you shouldn't have pulled out like you did."

"Hey!, you hit me, lady!" He blinked to adjust his eyes and found himself staring into the most beautiful brown eyes he'd ever seen. Her dark hair hung down and pieces of it tickled his nose as she leaned over him. Her skin was gorgeous, and suddenly he had the urge to paint her. He'd probably would have told her as much – if he wasn't distracted by his pounding headache. Spencer clutched at his head and smiled goofily at the vision in front of him, "You're pretty," he said, his voice groggy, "both of you. Yep, two pretty ladies I see ….."

Afraid that he was dreaming and feeling as if he might pass out at any minute , Spencer reached out, finding her face and running his hand over it, noting the softness of her skin, and the full lips that just tempted him in ways he hadn't thought of in a while .

He must be daydreaming again and as far as dreams went, this was awesome.

Spencer retraced the path from her nose to her mouth, muttering like an idiot ,"You're pretty ..very pretty and I ..I think you hit me with your big van type vehicle."

There he went, blaming this on her again. He might be right, but Trina Vega was not in the habit of taking the blame for anything…especially when there might be consequences. For just a second she thought she could just blame Robbie on the accident or not if Cat was driving .

Damn .

"You think I'm pretty?" Trina caught his hand before he could keep playing with her face and felt a shock to her system,"

She hadn't noticed that the RV had parked and all the kids were moving out of it and over to where Trina knelt in the street, next to the cute man and his mangled motorcycle. She heard Jade's voice behind her.

"You think she's pretty? Maybe we should get you to the hospital." Trina turned and shot daggers at Jade.

Spencer gazed at her mesmerized by everything about her. "So pretty "

"Trina ! Are you alright?" Tori ran over to her, looking frantic, "You hit some dude driving a motorcycle! Couldn't you see or were you to busy shaving your legs?"

"I'm fine," Trina waved her hand dismissively, not even glancing at her sister , "And he's fine too…he said I'm pretty."

Jade crossed her arms over her chest and surveyed the scene with a keen eye .

"Like I said, get that poor blind guy to a hospital."

"Jade…"Beck said, a warning in his voice he, and everyone else, was more than aware Jade would only ignore."

Spencer caught Trina's hand in his own and held it as if she could steady his heart, which was suddenly beating like a banshee's.

"No, I'm good," Spencer stated, matter of fact, using Trina's hand to balance himself as he tried to stand. "not blind , just hit by a beautiful angel."

Trina moved closer and felt the steady drum of her own heart. "Maybe we should call an ambulance and get you to a hospital , you know, just in case."

"No ambulance." he said, standing and surveying the damage to his bike. "Unless they can take my bike to the I.C.U." he laughed, but no one joined in, all of them were staring at this strange man who didn't seem upset at all that a random girl had just run him over.

"Shouldn't we like call the police or the insurance companies?" Tori wondered aloud, turning to Trina. "Dad is going to kill you for this, Trina."

Trina glared evilly at her sister, hissing under her breath. "Do _not_embarrass me, Tori."

Cat stepped up to the two Vega sisters who were staring each other down. "I already called the police and Robbie called an ambulance." she said"They should be here in a few minutes. Trina, are you sure you didn't get hurt too?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Trina tossed her dark locks over one shoulder flirtatiously," do you um, have a wife or a...a girlfriend we can call for you?"

"No, nope, I don't " Spencer ran a finger down her nose "I'm single."

"Good."Trina, grabbing his hand again, "but can you stop doing that cause it's weird and you're freaking me out a little when you keep touching my face."

"Sorry."

Andre walked up to Tori, whispering in her ear. "Is your sister hitting on the dude she ran over, Tor?"

Tori nodded, sadly, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, she is, probably thinks that if she flirts with him he won't press charges." Tori and Andre watched as Trina and motorcycle man stood on the side of the street – staring at each other.

Andre chuckled ,"He doesn't seem to mind .That's strange."

Trina couldn't seem to think straight or tear her gaze away from her victim and she didn't care that she was getting dirty looks from Tori and Tori's friends or even that she probably looked like an idiot just standing there staring at him.

"We should probably introduce ourselves or something …I'm Trina Vega."

Through his confusion and pain, the name went through him and a goofy yet pleased smile worked its way across his face .

"Trina , Trina , I know you," Spencer screamed despite the pain in his head , "You're my model!"

Trina gasped, gaping at him in shock. "Oh,Ccap." she said, "You're Spencer Shay? As in Spencer Shay, the guy who's supposed to be my boss?" she shook her head, "My boss that ran over with my car –who's probably not going to want me to be his model since I nearly killed him." she muttered miserably.

"I've had worse happen," Spencer admitted, "and I haven't changed my mind about you modeling for me .This is nothing ..phsh, probably just a concussion or something .I can handle that, though someone should probably call my sister for me."

"You don't want to fire me?" Trina said in shock.

?"

"No! No way, Trina!" Spencer declared. He blinked his eyes as if trying to focus and began to wobble on his feet. "Oh look…there are two of you again." he said, before passing out unconscious at Trina's feet, hand and dreaming of a dark haired angel with creamy skin and perfect lips .

"Spencer, wake up," Trina leaned down beside him and shook his shoulders, "I don't think you're supposed to sleep,"

**Seattle General Hospital **

After the ambulance arrived on the scene, to find an unconscious Spencer, a frantic Trina and a handful of teenagers from L.A. who had no idea what was going on, they'd placed Spencer in the back of the ambulance and the gang had followed them to Seattle General Hospital. Once there, Spencer was taken to a room in the ER and Trina had thrown a huge fit announcing she was going in there with him until Carly arrived while the others were sent to the waiting room.

"I don't see why we have to be here," Jade grumbled as Beck brought her coffee, "we didn't hit the dude. It was Trina! I do _not_want to waste anymore of my time in a stupid hospital waiting on a guy we don't even know …."

Beck sat down beside her and squeezed her knee. "Relax, babe, once he gets checked out and we make sure Trina didn't cause brain damage we can get out of here."

She shot him a look. "I'm starving."

"Why don't I look up some restaurants for us while we wait?" Beck suggested, kissing the side of her mouth and feeling her lean into him.

"Find something that I can eat." ordered Jade, going back to her writing .

Tori hung up her phone with a sigh and turned around to find a concerned Andre watching her. "I gave all the information to Mom and she's going to call the insurance company," she said, "she wasn't too happy with Trina."

"Main thing is there wasn't any blood shed…well not too much, and Spencer seemed fine." Andre laughed, "Well, until he lost consciousness that is."

"I just hope they don't make us come back home because of Trina's maniac driving."

"They won't" Andre took her chin in his hand, "Hey, we're finally in Seattle and it's all going to be good from here on in, Tori."

"I did notice some cool places when we got into town, before Trina hit him."

"Why don't we go pull up some places on my Pear pad and see what we want to do first?"

Cat walked up beside them, toying with the edge of her denim shorts. "Tori, hi. Before you and Andre do that, can we talk?"

"Sure, Cat." Tori said.

"I'll just go talk to Rob." Andre motioned to where Robbie was sitting by himself and went to join his friends so that the girls could chat in private.

"Leave it to Trina to land us in a hospital," Tori chuckled, trying to make light of the situation like Andre had suggested, "Just got here and already having some excitement , eh?"

"Yes," Cat fiddled with the strap of her purse , "Tori, about what I said to you earlier, I feel really bad about it. I'm a little stressed still but Robbie and I talked about it and I was wrong to say what I did to you…and I really am sorry."

"It's over Cat, and it's fine . Robbie is my friend and I love him as a friend but the idea of him and me is..well, it's just really gross!"

"I think it kinda bugged me because of how long Robbie had a crush on you but everything is better now. Sometimes, Tori, it's a little bit scary how much I love Robbie and I overreacted a little bit."

"We're all good now and we're going to have an awesome vacation …once we can get out of the hospital and actually start it."

Cat sent her a little smile."So, you and Andre looked pretty close." She winked at Tori. "Like really close again …that is so good."

Tori felt color rise to her cheeks."I feel like maybe things are finally getting on the right track, but I want him to be able to trust me again."

"I'm sure that Andre trusts you, Tori. And I think he's forgiven you."

"I still don't really know and I want to be sure," she Tori, hesitantly, "and I felt really close to him again when we were in the RV together but it also makes me really nervous too, Cat."

Cat beamed. "Nervous is good! When I was first starting to fall in love with Robbie I was a little nervous around him, which was funny since we've always been friends. Maybe your falling in love with Andre again, Tori."

"Don't say that out loud, Cat! People can hear you!"

Cat couldn't help but giggle, "I think you should stop bugging and just let it happen with Andre."

"I should get Trina before she harasses the guy anymore."Tori said, eager to change the subject, and went off to find her older sister.

Behind a curtain, Spencer sat on the side of a bed, waiting for the tests to come back and staring at Trina who hadn't left his side since she had ran him over with her car.

Some bruises and a mild concussion, the doctors didn't think there was any internal bleeding and the fact that he wasn't bleeding was all good and well with him.

Spencer really wasn't a fan of blood .

The nice nurse had given him something for the pounding in his head and besides the fuzziness and the pounding he felt just fine and took the opportunity to study Trina a little more. She really was gorgeous in a different sort of way than he was used to, and the pictures she had emailed him really didn't do her enough justice.

Those wide set eyes and the heavy lashes gave her an exotic look, she had to have the best skin of any female he had ever seen, and whatever scent she was wearing was making him nuts. Out of it or not, Spencer recognized the instant attraction between them and tried to focus on the adult in him that was screaming she was here to work , not to date him.

His last dates had started on a high note then ended badly and he wondered in his fuzziness how it would be to actually do the whole dating thing along with the steady , he wasn't thinking clearly cause that was too deep and his head still ached.

"You don't have to stay with me , Trina . I'm good and Carly ought to be on her way."

You shouldn't be by yourself ," Trina said. She had an unfamiliar twisting in the center of her stomach. She was nervous – or at least that's what she thought it was. She had never been the nervous type, that was Tori but around him, her stomach was butterfly central. :Do you need anything? Orange juice? Or I could go get you some pop or do you like Wahoo punch? I think we have that in the cooler we brought with us, I could totally go get you a drink. Or a sandwich maybe? I think there might be cookies – Sunshine Girl Cookies." She knew she was rambling…but she couldn't stop.

"I'm not really thirsty but thanks for the offer. I really love those shoes -those are some hot kicks!"

"Fizzenene sandals!" Trina held out a leg to show off her foot encased in a pair of strappy silver laced high heel sandals, "Graduation gift from my sister and her friends."

"I like them!" he said, "Wait…you just graduated?"

"Yes, I did," answered Trina, adjusting the belt across her waist, "Hollywood Arts."She'd just graduated, which made her a year older than Carly and Sam - a whole year. Or only a year..depending on how you looked at it.

"Cool. I looked into that school once, a long time ago, when Carly and Sam started iCarly but the move was too far," Spencer confided and she found that she liked this – just sitting her talking to him."Couldn't really afford it anyway, and I didn't want to take her away from her friends . My sister is pretty talented …she runs the web show that has like a million viewers and is super cool."

"I've seen her show…it is pretty cool," Trina wrung her hands together, "I really appreciate you not firing me or anything especially since.. I hit you."

Spencer laughed, smiling at her, "Oh…so you admit it now." his face was serious, "You almost killed me."

Not sensing his joke Trina rushed to his side, "But you said you were okay! And I didn't kill you!"

"Calm down! I was joking." he laughed, "I'm excited to paint you and maybe make a sculpture of you."

"TRINA!" Trina heard Tori's voice calling to her from the hallway as she walked into the room. "We should go now before Jade gets any more mad or before you talk Spencer into pressing charges or suing you or something. "Tori, hissed as she peeked her head in the curtain, "And we need to check in at our hotel too."

"Oh, your hotel," Spencer snapped his fingers at the memory," I checked on that earlier or no, I think I had Gibby check for me. It's the Hilton cause I thought it was the nicest one in town and it isn't too far from where I live and close is nice."

"OOOh the Hilton is very swanky. I am a girl who likes swanky."

"Trina! Leave the man alone, please!"

"So am I still modeling for you tomorrow or do you need a day since I gave you a concussion?"

"Ignore my sister," Tori said, " I think we should have her checked out in case she gave herself whiplash hitting you, Spencer." Tori mumbled, apologetically as she handed Trina her purse and dragged her out of the hospital room, "Thanks for not, you know, having her arrested."

"I don't have whiplash." Trina protested, "Let me go, Tori."

"Tomorrow is good, Trina," called out Spencer ,"we can have breakfast and talk before I decide what kind of poses I wanna have you do for me …"

"You have my number, Spencer , or you could even text me."

Tori tugged on her older sisters arm,"Stop making a fool out of yourself ! "

"Bye, Spencer." Trina called out, loudly as she disappeared with her sister.

Beck joined his friends to talk since Jade was busy taking notes over possible script revisions she might have to make for the play and he felt like he and the guys needed to discuss the whole Tori issue . He still thought that Jade and Cat had overreacted a bit but maybe it couldn't hurt to see if Andre and Robbie were on the same wave length as he was before it became a bigger issue.

"So it's pretty crazy for Cat to think that Tori could ever want you, Rob." Andre said, beating Beck to the punch.

Robbie lifted his eyes from his Pear pad and contemplated this."I don't know if I should be insulted by that or not, Andre. Cat and I talked about this again for almost an hour on the way here and I am honestly surprised at how insecure she is on this whole thing."

"You're with Cat." Jade pointed out, not even bothering to lift her head from the script in her lap."And you took forever dragging your feet about dumping the gank even after you told Cat how you felt about her. You were delusional, Robbie, to think that the girl would just be fine with you jumping in like you always do about Vega."

"This is between me and Cat, Jade! It's not really your business, Plus, things between us are peachy keen. We're good! Better than good…we're swell!"

"Yeah, yeah." Jade said, narrowing her eyes at Robby predatorily, "Just remember this Shapiro,Cat is my best friend and if you hurt her , I will kill you…slowly."

"I don't intend to hurt Cat…ever." declared a defensive Robbie before turning his attention back to the guys with hopes of avoiding Jade's angry gaze. "What did you want, Andre ?"

"You know I hate to agree with the girls but I think maybe you guys do treat Tori a little different than Cat and Jade," Andre said, having given it more thought after his own talk with Tori, "I know she likes to be tough, okay, maybe 'Tori' tough but she has this 'take care of me' vibe going. It makes a guy sort of…lose himself sometimes. You just want to make sure she's okay. I know cause I do it but I think you and Beck do too."

"She's our friend." Beck said, "We would do the same if it were Cat."

"You guys are seriously going to hash this out now? After I had to apologize to Vega and everything, you still don't get that you like to treat Tori like a princess." Jade said.

"Jade, we were just talking about it and if we work something out between us dudes, maybe we can stop doing it so you and Cat won't be pissed off at us." Beck offered. "Unless you have another idea."

"Well, I have an idea. We could start by not saying yes to everything Tori asks us to do. "Robbie said wryly, "Cat was pretty peeved about that. I didn't even realize I did it...I think it's like when I used to ask Tori out. I just did it because I knew she would never agree to date me and it would keep my mind off of Cat for like a whole five minutes but old habits are hard to break."

"I can break some bones for you, Shapiro." Jade offered.

"Look , I think we just need to step back. You, Cat, Jade and I can hang out together and give Andre some room to do his thing to win Tori back."

"That'd be cool." Andre met his gaze and sent him a thoughtful look, "I feel like Tori and I are finally getting somewhere and I don't need her getting all skittish again. I also don't need to fight for her attention."

Before either Beck or Robbie could respond, Carly Shay burst into the hospital with a fretful expression on her fine features and Sam, Freddie , and Gibby hot on her heels..

"Where is my brother ?" Carly made a beeline for the nurse's desk.

A very bored looking nurse surveyed her, and the group with her before consulting a chart sitting on her desk. "Name." she said.

"Spencer. Spencer Shay. He was hit on a motorcycle. Is he alright? I'm his sister and I want to see him now!"

"Carly, chill," said Sam, who was by her side, "the nurse said he's still alive."

"I need to see for myself," a nervous Carly prattled on, "I hate that stupid motorcycle of his! I told him it wasn't safe!" she turned back to Sam and Freddie, "Didn't I tell him it wasn't safe?"

"Carly, hi," Tori spotted her first as she and Trina were rejoining their friends, "Um, Remember me? I'm Tori…Tori Vega? We met at…"

"The party in Los Angeles. The one where we caught slimy Steven cheating. I remember. Do you know where my brother is, or what happened to him?"

Tori ignored the last question, "He's in the first cubicle over there."

"Thanks, and how do you know about Spencer?"

Tori was rueful and embarrassed. "Well, my sister was, sort of… the one who hit him."

Trina gave a little wave. "Hi. I'm Trina…the hitter. I'm really sorry about that but Spencer is okay," Trina explained, "I've been with him since we got to the hospital. The doctors said he's just bruised up and he has a slight concussion but he's talking and making sense and everything."

"Spencer's making sense?" Sam laughed.

"I know right?" Tori laughed, stopping when Carly sent a glare her way.

Trina spoke up again. "There's no internal bleeding or anything bad, I heard the doctor myself."

A nurse poked her head into the conversation, helpfully. "Ms. Shay, your brother is right over there and you can see him while I finish up his discharge papers."

"Thank you." Carly ignored Trina and rushed inside the curtained off area to see her brother while Sam deliberated on giving them a moment to themselves.

Freddie cupped Sam's elbow. "You going to go in there with Carly?"

"In a minute," answered Sam, knowingly, "Might as well let her do her blubbering with Spencer all by herself. He's a pro with the concussions by now so we can just take turns making sure he doesn't sleep tonight…"

"We can watch movies and stuff." Gibby said then noticed a familiar red velvet colored head of hair." "Cat? Cat Valentine? Is that you?"

Cat heard her name, turned around, and recognized the familiar faces and her friend Gibby. He was a little strange sometimes but such a nice guy.

"Gibby!" Cat greeted him with a hug, "Hi! It's so good to see you again."

He released her as Robbie moved to flank her side ." You guys made good time! "

Robbie extended his hand and the young men shook ." We would have made better time if Trina hadn't hit Spencer with her car …..we're really sorry about that by the way. "

"Trina ," Gibby touched his chin, thinking ," wow , that is odd . You know Spencer hired this model from Hollywood to come and you know, model for his sculptures for the festival "

"That would be me ! I'm the model " interjected Trina , striking a pose .

"Cool "

Jade closed her notebook and joined them ." Can we leave now ? This is boring and clearly his family is here so they don't need us and I need a sandwich or something ." She turned to Beck, "Please, if you value your life you will not make me eat hospital food on my first day of vacation "

"Cool your jets, Scissor Girl , it was your fault in the first place ! Your friend here decided to plow Spencer over with her car …." Sam said, defending Gibby for what was possibly the first time ever.

"Sam, now is not the time ! It was an accident " reminded a calm Freddie .

"Trina is not my friend ! " jade produced her scissors ," and the dude isn't dead ! Don't threaten me , Puckett ! "

"I'm not intimidated by your stupid scissors , West! As a matter of fact…I can tell you a great place to stick them! "

Trina had enough ." I've had enough of you people and since Spencer seems to be just fine , I need a long hot soak in the bubble bath and maybe a massage "

"Bye " called Tori, watching as her sister left the hospital then turned to face the others ," I am so sorry for my sister . She drives like a maniac but she's never actually hit anyone till now, I swear "

Freddie nodded ." Spencer is pretty tough though he did give us a scare this time "

"I'm fine , you guys ," announced Spencer , leaning on Carly as she led him from his room ," nothing I haven't ever had before . Just a mild concussion and some new bruises ….I just cant sleep tonight but phesh , that's nothing "

"At least you were wearing your helmet " Carly breathed a sigh of relief ," you scared the fudge out of me , Spencer "

"It was a tiny accident ," dismissed Spencer," I'm good . Where is Trina ?"

"She went to her hotel " answered Tori ," so, do we need to see about hotel rooms now ? I mean we would understand if you didn't want us staying with you after this, Carly "

Carly heaved a worried sigh , her concern for her brother evident in her face. She deliberated until her eyes fell upon Robbie and a small smile played across her face .How had she not noticed him before…the really cute boy she'd video chatted with a few days ago.

"Of course not," dismissed Carly ," don't be ridiculous . It wasn't your fault and there is plenty of room at my house ….the invitation is still open," she said, looking directly at Robbie. "to all of you"

"Thanks , Carly ," Robbie said , holding Cat's hand as they talked with Gibby ," we really do appreciate it . It's been a crazy day already …"

Carly's eyes lingered on Robbie's face a moment more than necessary and decided he was even cuter in person .

"They should come for supper ," Spencer declared," I have to stay awake anyhow so I might as well make some spaghetti tacos . Where is Trina ?"

"You must have hit your head harder than usual ," Sam spoke up," they said Trina went to her hotel , Spencer "

"Where's my phone ?" demanded Spencer , searching his jean pockets ," I need to call her so that she can come over . I think it's important that we get to know each other ….where is my phone ?"

"Yeah," Gibby winked at Spencer, elbowing him in the ribs and nearly knocking him over, "Get to know her." he looked over at Tori, "I wouldn't mind getting to know one of the Vega sisters." Tori blushed and Andre put an arm protectively around her that she seemed not to notice.

Freddie handed him the pear phone ." Here 's your phone and are you sure it was just a concussion ? "

Spencer shot him a pained expression ." I'm sick of this hospital so lets just go home so I can fix some spaghetti tacos and see my model "

"Where exactly do you guys live ?" asked Andre , jumping in .

"Bushwell Plaza "

"They better have food for us because Beck and I could have already found a cool place to eat at and be in our hotel room while you losers are hanging out with the iCarlies " Jade ignored Lewbert as he tried to open the door for her but she pushed him aside so she and the others could enter the apartment building ," I want to scope out the theatre early in the morning and see what we still have to do for the set design "

"Jade , relax " Beck slid an arm around her ," let's just hang out and have fun tonight "

"Like hanging out in the hospital was fun ," retorted Jade ," they wouldn't even let me take home samples of anything "

"That is still disgusting , Jade " Tori stuck out her tongue at her friend.

"Stop ! Where are you kids going ? I don't know you .who are you ?" demanded Lewbert , stopping to leer at the girls and making Cat uncomfortable .

His wart stared menacingly at the redhead giving her the creeps and she held onto her boyfriends waist .

"Robbie, his wart is scaring me " pouted Cat in a tiny voice .

"It's just a unsightly wart, sweetheart ," reassured Robbie , calmly ," it's gross and disgusting but it can't hurt you "

He addressed the doorman , politely ." You know, sir, you really should see about getting that removed "

"Gross " muttered Tori , shuddering as she to couldn't help but notice the wart .

Andre squeezed her shoulder ." True chizz , I swear that thing is looking at us . It's even wigging me out "

Jade pulled out her newest pair of scissors , brandishing them with glee ." I've got a wart remover right here . Won't take me but a sec to pop that thing "

"Get ouuuuutta here ! Unless you kids want me to throw you out "

"We'll just leave you and your wart alone to do your job ," allowed Beck ," we're friends of Carly Shay so we'll just head up to go see them now and leave you alone "

The group turned the corner and headed to the elevator which would take them to the floor that both Carly and Freddie lived on .

It didn't take long for the gang to find the loft and a friendly Carly ushered them into the apartment where Freddie and Sam were sitting together on the couch , content while Gibby was helping Spencer in the kitchen putting together the fixings to make his famous spaghetti tacos .

"Come on in, you guys ," Carly reached for Robbie's suitcase and sent him a dazzling smile ," let me help you with your luggage "

"Thanks, Carly , but I've got it ," Robbie took it from her ," I do have Cat's though . Is there someplace you would like me to put it ?"

"Cat " repeated Carly , a question in her voice ," your girlfriend . Right , cause I completely forgot that Freddie said that you and Cat were a couple "

Robbie smiled ." Almost four months now "

Cat dropped her purse and pink travel bag and moved to hug her boyfriends side .

"Four months and two days " declared a happy Cat , kissing his cheek ," and thanks so much, Carly , for letting me and Tori stay here with you "

Carly managed what might have been a polite smile ." Sure thing , Cat "

"Give me their luggage and I'll take it up to Carly's room for you girls " volunteered Gibby as Cat slung her pink bag across his neck and he took her suitcase as well as Tori's and headed up towards Carly's bedroom, the luggage noisy as he went .

"You sure you don't need me and Robbie to give you a hand , man ?" asked Andre .

"No," called Gibby from upstairs ," I've got it "

Spencer took a swig of water , popped another pain pill, and scanned the door for the dark haired goddess ." Where is Trina ?"

"Sorry I'm late but that disgusting doorman with the hairy wart hit on me ! " announced Trina , making an entrance and tossing her purse on the table ," but no worries , I think I took out his kneecap. He won't do that again …"

A slow smile worked its way across Spencer's face as he took Trina's hand and led her to the couch .

"Is the hotel alright ? Because if you don't like your room, I can find you another one "

Trina swallowed the nervousness in her stomach. " It's perfect "

"I'm making spaghetti tacos ," declared an eager to please Spencer who felt as if he was back in high school again around this beautiful young woman," you eat, right ? "

"Spaghetti tacos sound good " Trina beamed at him and blew out a breath .

"Do you cook , Trina ? "

Tori heard the question and laughed then resumed her talk with Andre and Carly .

Trina ignored her sister " I can make a nice salad "

"Your resume was intriguing " admitted Spencer ," and I was really impressed that you were in the Parade parade last year . That happens to be one of my favorite parades ..."

"It was an experience " muttered Trina , wishing the butterflies in her stomach would leave .

She couldn't act professional if she was having very unprofessional thoughts about her new boss , which she was , and she hadn't a clue how to act her way out of this either .

This was brand new territory for Trina and she was out of her element.

"So where do you guys shoot iCarly ? ' Robbie asked, curiously as he sat in a chair and Cat perched on his lap ," this loft is amazing!"

"It is so huge " noted Cat ," love the robot sculpture too. It's very cool ."

"The studio is upstairs ," explained Freddie ," I can give you the tour "

"That would be cool " declared Robbie , excitedly ,' I know you use a handheld , Freddie , but what kind of set up do you have for broadcasting ?"

He stood and lifted Cat off of his lap ." Cat , you want to see the studio too ?"

"No, I'm good here ," Cat kissed him, sweetly ," you have fun geeking out over the computer stuff with Freddie , Robbie "

"Be down in a bit "

Freddie looked at Sam. " Is it safe for me to leave mama down here with Cat ?"

Sam grabbed his polo shirt , placed a quick kiss to his lips then dropped him.

"Go do your nerd thing with Puppet Boy , Cat and I are cool "

Freddie arched a brow ." Play nice "

"Go, Freddly " Sam gave him a shove then watched as he led Robbie upstairs to the studio for the tour then approached the tiny redhead ," you do know those two nerds will be holed up there for an hour talking tech talk together "

"Mhmm," Cat said," Robbie doesn't get to do that often back home and he just got the new Pear Pad 3 with the slightly better screen so I know he's anxious to tell Freddie all about it "

"Nerds in paradise "

"Freddie doesn't mind you calling him a nerd ? Robbie's a nerd and I love him but I wouldn't call him that ..I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings"

"Freddo's used to the names by now and your dork is too much of a girl, Red "

Cat frowned ," I don't want to fight with you, Sam, and no he isn't . Robbie is sensitive "

"I told Freddie I wouldn't pick a fight with you so did you bring any of those chocolate chip cookies with you ? " inquired a curious Sam.

"I can check ," Cat went to the insulated bag ," there might be a few left that Robbie, Andre , and Beck didn't polish off "

Jade wondered around the loft , picking up things , and checking out the place while Beck , Andre ,and Gibby gabbed about the trip and random topics that the peculiar kid was known for . She really wasn't paying all that much attention .

She moved to the kitchen where Tori was helping Carly prepare supper and chatting .

"So, I was surprised about Robbie and Cat ," brought up Carly in a conversational tone ," I mean, Freddie did mention they were dating but they don't look like they would belong together ."

Tori managed a wry smile ." Have you been in a room with them for five minutes , Carly? We were all surprised about them when it happened but those two are perfect for each other except that Cat and Robbie are so in love , they can be kind of gross "

"You get used to them " contributed Jade, helpfully .

"Are you going to help us , Jade ?" inquired Tori, offering her a taco .

"No " Jade noticed a pair of scissors on the counter and examined them .

Carly leaned in a hushed tone ." Jade's just a ray of sunshine -she scares me "

"That's just Jade but …don't make her mad " offered Tori , stirring the spaghetti ," soooo, Sam and Freddie are together which just leaves you and Gibby . I don't suppose there is anything going on there ?"

Carly pretended to gag ." Noo, I would never date Gibby . He isn't my type plus he's Gibby and I'd rather be single than date him. Which I am at the moment…single I mean. How about yourself ?"

"Well, Andre and I broke up a couple months ago and we're friends " muttered an uncomfortable Tori ," and I'm leaving the romance to my friends right now '

"I hear you. " said Carly , with understanding ," so, it just really surprises me about Robbie . He seems so smart and Cat just doesn't seem like the kind of girl he would go for ….big mystery "

"Robbie's been in love with Cat for years "

"Oh " murmured Carly, wondering why it was bothering her and anxious for Freddie and Robbie to hurry up and come back downstairs .

The studio wasn't that fascinating . What were they talking about ? She really wanted to see and talk to Robbie more than the brief five minute pleasantries they had exchanged .

"Cat " Jade grabbed her friend and pulled her to a corner ," we need to talk "

"Hi Jade "

"Listen up cause I just heard Tori and Carly chatting and little Miss .Perky Pants seems awfully interested in Robbie " informed Jade , nodding at the dark haired duo.

"Carly seems so nice ," says Cat , not believing her best friend ," you must have misunderstood , Jade . She knows that Robbie is my boyfriend so why would she possibly be interested in Robbie ? He's my guy "

"I know what I heard and the chic is acting too weird and asking all sorts of lame questions about Robbie which Vega is stupid enough to answer . I'm warning you, Cat, you need to watch your boyfriend around perky '

"Thanks ,Jade , but I think you're just overreacting but I'll watch her just in case your right "

"I am right , Cat "

Sam listened carefully and considered jumping in to vouch for Carls but the girl was the flirt queen so this was probably nothing more than her being herself . There wasn't a cute guy that her best friend wouldn't flirt with though she'd have to tease the chizz out of her if she thought the puppet geek was cute .

"Tacos are done ! Time to eat ! '

After supper the group sat scattered in the living room sharing stories and just hanging out together and getting to know each other better .

"So after Tori's heel landed in the chancellors only good eye , the Yerbanian soldiers took her to prison " explained Trina ," it was scary "

"Worse vacation ever " agreed Beck , who was sitting on the bean bag chair with Jade ," before that , Andre got bitten by a vampire moth "

"He got this huge growth thing on his neck that really swelled up big time " added Jade .

"It was a horrible, horrible thing ," replied a serious Andre ," thought I was going to die because apparent ally most people that get bitten die "

"No way " said Gibby ," and it didn't turn you into a vampire ? Cause nobody mentioned that André was a bloodsucking vampire and we don't really have any spare blood around or is he like those sparkly vampires that Carly likes "

"I'm not a vampire , man ," spoke up Andre with a chuckle ," made me go a little crazy hallucinating but there was a cure by a freaky twelve year old kid doctor "

"Then Robbie had to go and kill the chancellors octopus so that we all got thrown into prison ," continued Trina ," never let Tori plan a vacation "

"It wasn't all bad ," contributed Cat from her spot on Robbie's lap," I joined a prison gang and taught them all how to dance "

"Is she for real ?" asked Carly , sending a questioning look towards Robbie .

"My Cat can make friends anywhere " informed Robbie as she snuggled closer to him and let out a yawn ," which can scare me to death sometimes "

"Prison gang ," mused Sam ," I'm shocked but kind of impressed , Red "

"They weren't all mean ladies and besides Robbie would have tried to protect us "

"Crazy times " said Beck ," we're hoping none of that happens here .Pretty sure it wont "

"We've had loads of those too like jumping out of a plane with a parachute in Japan " volunteered Spencer ," that was nuts ! Or I drove them out to L.A just so Carly could find out that her boyfriend was cheating on her though I suppose that's something you guys don't want to remember . "

Tori let out a yawn and grabbed hold of Andre's arm before she tipped over ." Sorry,Dre , but I'm suddenly so tired "

Andre steadied her and sent her a warm smile ." It's been a long trip "

"I'm sleepy too " Cat whispered , resting her head against her boyfriends chest ," I could just stay like this and sleep on you, Robbie "

He pressed a kiss against her hair ." Maybe I should find you a bed "

Jade hopped up off of the floor and pulled Beck with her ." At this point, Beck and I don't want to hear them and we have a swanky hotel room with our names on it "

"We should get going ," declared Beck," Spencer, Carly, thanks for supper "

Jade grabbed her purse and Beck's hand ." We'll pick you guys up at eight in the morning so be ready to leave and work "

"We'll be ready " called out Tori as the couple left ," I'm kind of beat too. Carly , do you mind if I grab a quick shower before I go to bed ?"

"Of course not and the bathroom is around the corner , Tori "

Tori appraised Andre and ran a hand through her brown hair ." So goodnight , Andre "

"Night , Tor " Andre didn't give her time to think but enveloped her into a hug ," you sleep tight "

Breathing in the familiarness between them, Tori darted into the bathroom with a wave .

"I got my work cut out for me " explained Andre , stuffing his hands into his pockets," so, Freddie , dude , is your Mom home or can I go on over and grab the guest room ? Beck's Rv is cool and everything but the floor sucks "

"No, Mom's working late tonight ," stated Freddie ," Robbie , you ready to go too ? I can get you guys set up in the guest room while its all clear over there "

"You go on ," replied Robbie ," I need to say goodnight to Cat then I'll be over "

"I'm not sticking around for the show ," declared Andre ," I've seen enough of their goodnights and I don't need to see anymore . Besides Robbie takes like 20 freaking minutes to kiss the girl goodnight …later "

Freddie stared at his own girlfriend." Sam ?"

"I'll meet you in the hallway in ten " informed Sam, matter of fact .

Freddie followed Andre out the door while Robbie walked Cat upstairs to Carly's bedroom where she and Tori were bunking during their stay here .

"I'm so tired I could drop " Cat wrapped her arms around his neck ," and I cant believe you'll just be across the hall from me , Robbie "

"So close yet so far " Robbie brushed a strand of red from her face ," I love you "

"I love you too " Cat kissed him lovingly as he held her tight ," I..I think I'm going to miss waking up in your arms , Robbie "

He gulped, nervously ." I don't think Spencer or Carly would approve if I slept over here with you, sweetie "

"Probably not and we still wouldn't have any privacy either " murmured Cat , nibbling a kiss along his jaw ," I just love being so close to you , Robbie "

Robbie kissed her nose ." I feel the same way but I don't want us to rush into anything "

Cat colored ," I didn't mean that ! Well, maybe I did a little bit but that's a huge , important intimate change in our relationship and I….I have thought about it with you. With us ….I just wanted you to know I was thinking about it '

"I appreciate that " Robbie kissed her again ," and so have I but maybe right now in Carly's room isn't the place for us to talk about it . " He heaved a sigh, not wanting to let her go ," and I need to let you get your sleep. Good night , Cat "

"goodnight , Robbie " Cat kissed him, swiftly and he headed back downstairs .

Carly was finishing picking up the soft drink cans and trash when she noticed Robbie coming back down . " Hi Robbie "

He gathered some empty plates and napkins and put them in the trash . " Let me help you with that , Carly , no need for you to clean up after us . If cat wouldn't have been about to drop , I know she would have helped too "

"Thanks " smiled Carly, her heart skipping a beat ," is Cat all settled ?"

"She is and I know I've said it a bunch of times before but I think its really sweet of you to let the girls stay here ," said a sincere Robbie ," especially since you barely know us and are doing it based on Freddie's word "

"Well, I'm always glad to help out my friends or future would be friends, Robbie "

"You really are sweet , Carly , and I hope that you and I can be friends. "

Carly grinned and met his gaze , her smile vibrant and her insides dancing a jig or tune .

"I think that we already are, Robbie "

"Goodnight , Carly " Robbie picked up his own suitcase and headed across the hallway .

Carly dropped the dishtowel and leaned against the counter and felt as if her loneliness had just disappeared . Robbie thought that she was sweet .

Her radar might have been off in the past but right now it was working like a dream .

There was something between herself and Robbie Shapiro and she was going to spend the summer testing the waters and making something happen .


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer : Sadly I still don't own Victorious or the icarly gang .

" Jade "

One blue opened then slowly the other did as well as Jade woke up from her very deep sleep to find a bare-chested Beck curled up on his side , looking every bit the devilish rogue , one hand curled up on his head, watching her sleep with a slow grin spread across his face as she gazed up at him.

" Morning "

" You're staring , Beck "

" I love to stare at my beautiful girlfriend " Beck captured her mouth in a smoldering kiss that had her clutching a handful of his hair and pulling him down much closer to her as they greeted the morning and each other .

" I don't need the chic flick romance , Beck, but I am hot " acknowledged Jade , her eyes gleaming with a slight touch of mischievous to amuse him.

" Just trying to keep things honest between us " admitted Beck ," and a little romance couldn't hurt us . We lost that the second time around, babe . You know it and I know it so I'm just trying to keep us in perspective "

" Yeah but if you start taking lame ass romance lessons off of Robbie I will cut all of that pretty hair off yours from your scalp, Beck "

" I would kill me if I did that " joked Beck, kissing her jaw ," though you have to admit this hotel room is way better idea than rooming with the rest of the guys "

" No way am I slumber partying with Cat , tori, and that Carly chick who I don't trust or like " informed jade , pushing herself up on her elbows to press herself against him , comfortably ," no one can be that perky or perfect . Don't you even bring up Tori this morning either …"

Beck nibbled on her shoulder and pretended he hadn't heard her . Things might be cool with them all being friends and hanging out but there just might always be an issue where Tori was concerned and that was his own fault . Him and his stupid bad judgment .

" Carly seems like a nice girl ," told Beck , casually ," and Cat happens to be perky most of the time . Why don't you like Carly or do I not want to know this ?"

Jade shrugged ," I don't know ..bad feeling about the dude and she kept looking at Robbie . The dude isn't much to look at unless your Cat and only because she loves the nerd . It was weird chizz so I don't like the girl "

" Aw you're worried about your best friend " teased beck, watching a flicker of angry cross her face as she jumped on him, crawling on top of him, and playfully pummeling him then bent to kiss him in stead .

" This is why we don't over share " informed Jade, tracing her fingernail across his chest .

Before the couple could resume their morning sex explorations , both of their pear phones went off simultaneously causing Jade to swear loudly at them .

" Why didn't we shut off our phones last night ? " grumbled Jade, blowing a dark strand of hair out of her eye ," never mind . I know why and if its Vega texting me before I've had my coffee she is so dead …"

She leaned over him to glance at the alarm side clock," Oh chizz its freaking seven oh clock in the morning already . Damn "

She gave her boyfriend a smacking kiss and covered her chest with the loose sheet.

" Get my phone "

Beck raised a brow , questioning her ." What's the magic word, babe ?"

Her tone softened , realizing her own bossiness and did her best to curb it a bit .

Her concession to his was another something new in their relationship .

" Get my phone , please "

" Will do " said an amiable Beck, grabbing his jean shorts from the floor and putting them on as he walked over to retrieve their phones off of the table then sat down beside her on the bed as he handed her the cell ," and we both know who these are gonna be from so no sense breaking out the scissors this early in the morning "

" I got a couple texts from Andre and Robbie wanting to know if we're meeting them for breakfast before we go check out the theatre "

" I don't know why Vega had to text me about food when Cat already did ," grumbled Jade , sifting through the text messages ," guess Carly knows some diner that has awesome waffles and bacon "

She made a face ." I don't eat bacon "

" I know ," Beck kissed her forehead ," you don't have to eat any "

" I'm going to take a shower ," Jade climbed out of the bed , grabbed his red plaid shirt to slip on as she made a beeline for the bathroom ," give me ten minutes and then we can pick up the guys . This diner better have some good coffee or we're stopping at the nearest Jet Brew or Starbucks that this town has "

" We have a coffeemaker in the room, babe , I can make you coffee "

Jade glanced over her shoulder and he moved to the small coffeemaker with ease .

" No grounds in my coffee , babe "

Beck smirked at her ." That was one time , Jade "

She laughed huskily and disappeared to take her shower and begin their morning .

This morning they would see the theatre where they would perform her play .

The Hollywood Arts gang had been expecting the typical fancy diner considering the high end part of Seattle that they followed the icarly gang into but was pleasantly surprised when they parked and Freddie and Sam led them into a simple diner with a sign proclaiming that it was Josie's Diner in bright blue on the window.

Fifties style booths and tables were scattered about the diner while the Do Ron Ron was playing on the jukebox and the smell of fresh coffee and bacon wafted throughout the air as the group pulled a couple tables together .

" Something sure smells good in here " offered Andre as he sat down beside Tori .

" Food ," declared Sam ," Josie makes the best breakfast platter in Seattle . Only place in town where a girl can get bacon ,ham .steak with some eggs and pancakes "

Freddie draped his arm across the back of her chair." We eat here a lot "

" I prefer the waffles " interjected Carly, noticing that Robbie was holding Cat's chair for her and then the couple exchanged a quick kiss before taking their seats . She bit her lip and twisted her napkin in her lap and wondered why this bothered her . When was the last time a guy had held a chair out for her or opened a door ? Besides Freddie or Gibby , it had been practically never it seemed like and she did like gentlemen .

Which was a rarity these days .

" Oooh they have strawberry waffles ! I love strawberries ! " enthused Cat, excitedly .

" I like red fruits except for blood red oranges because why would you want to eat anything with blood in it ? Besides if its an orange then it cant actually be red " brought up Gibby of his late4st fruit theory with a thoughtful nod .

" That is so true , Gibby ! Like pomegranates looks like it is red but it really has some purple in it "

Gibby smiled at his friend with warmth ." Exactly ! I've missed talking to you about things like this , Cat "

" I know , Gibby , and sometimes you just have to wonder about certain things "

" He only discovered radishes a couple years ago " contributed Freddie with a smirk .

" Its not my fault that Mom isn't a vegetarian " defended a good natured Gibby .

" Oh you know what I love is tomatoes ! " added Cat , turning to chat with her friend .

Robbie smiled lovingly at his girlfriend and noticed Carly watching him and sent her a kind smile .

" Cat finds new ways of looking at everyday things and making them fascinating and fun "

" I don't know if that's what I would say about it ," said Carly , carefully ," we just say that Gibby is just being a Gibby which translates to strange "

" I find it fascinating with Cat but that's just me . I'm really thankful that there isn't any weirdness or anything because of the Roxanne thing …..I know she and Gibby are related .Things did get ugly during the break-up " admitted Robbie , thinking back to his ex-girlfriend Roxanne who had been using and lying to him the entire time they had been dating . It had been a huge complication to an already crazy situation when he and Cat had fallen in love but he had worried that Gibby would hold a grudge over him because of it .

" Satan's daughter is evil , dude . She may be my cousin but I unfriended the witch on the Slap after that went down ..not cool to do what she did ," replied Gibby in all seriousness ," using you and lying about Granddad being dead that's bad chizz . None of it was your fault , dude , and besides you got Cat out of it which is awesome "

" Thanks , man , I appreciate it " Robbie was grateful .

" Tor, you want to share a big breakfast platter with me ?" asked Andre , covering her hand with his and waiting . She didn't pull it away ," you can eat my pancakes "

" I'm starving , Andre , you would be lucky if I let you eat anything if we shared " teased Tori, feeling herself relax for what seemed like the first time in days .

" You having an appetite is a good thing " replied Andre , taking a drink of his water .

" You eat like a bird , Skinny Pants ?"

" I am not skinny ," defended Tori ," and you can ask Andre because I eat . I don't starve myself or live off salads and burritos like Jade does "

" Hate chicks who eat like a bird and put on an act and be all prissy for the dudes " said Sam, earning her a disapproving stare from both Freddie and Carly as she motioned for the waitress to hurry up and take their orders before she starved .

Jade couldn't help but laugh ." That'd be Vega "

" I do not talk like that ! " protested Tori, weakly at Jade's southern belle impression of her . No matter how many times Jade teased her or tormented her about it , she found that it still aggravated her to no end .

" She really does " contributed Cat , helpfully ," and with hair flipping "

" Cat ! "

The Icarlies couldn't help but to laugh at the obvious in-joke surrounding the brunette .

" She does but its hot " spoke up Andre , squeezing Tori's hand before she could freak out over it ," and trust me, Sam, Tori eats normal and sometimes like a dude "

Tori opened her mouth to protest ." Andre ! I don't eat like a dude "

He chuckled and sent her a sexy smirk ." Chill down , Tor, I like girls with a healthy appetite who's not afraid to eat more than one piece of some pizza "

Their eyes locked and held and Tori felt thunder in her heart as they shared this moment .

One part of her was silently freaking out on the inside but the other part of her was trying to take Cat's advice and enjoy the way things seemed to be going between her and Andre without questioning it . It was more than a little amazing how natural it felt to be with Andre , comfy and right like it had before the Beck incident .

" Sam can eat a whole pizza all by herself " told Freddie , proudly .

" True chizz " agreed Sam, leaning back in her chair ," yo Josie , you going to take our orders before breakfast or what ?"

Josie Turner , the owner of the diner , came out herself to greet her favorite customer and took the gangs orders and headed back to fill them, allowing the teenagers time to gab while their waitress served them coffee and juice .

" Shay ," addressed a suspicious Jade ," Benson mentioned that you guys are performing a skit for the Shakespeare Festival too . Beck and I were going to do some Taming of the Shrew but Sikowitz submitted my play Loves Lament so we're performing it .."

" Wow , your play got picked for the stage . Way cool ," said a nervous Carly ," we've got space outside to perform our skit . It's just a funny take on Romeo and Juliet ….I reworked it and Sam and Freddie are going to perform it "

Sam dropped the jelly packets she had been eating to look at her best friend ." Wait a sec, Carls, I thought you and Gibby were going to play freaking Juliet and Romeo . You made it funny but you still kept the mush ..you know I hate mushy crap "

" Gibby is helping with the set ," informed Carly , " and what's the big deal ? You and Freddie are a couple anyhow and it makes more sense for you to be the leads .."

" Maybe but I don't need the credit for college or anything so you might as well take all of that …" argued Sam, slightly peeved that Carly hadn't brought this up before .

Carly was aware of allof the others watching them and managed a polite smile .

" We can discuss this on the way to the theatre , Sam "

Sam sent her a pointed look as Freddie handed her a Fat Cake to tide her over .

" You like strawberries , Robbie ?' inquired Carly, curiously as the waitress brought him an extra bowl of them besides his waffle .

" I do but these are for Cat ," admitted Robbie ," she loves them . They never put enough strawberries on waffles so I always order extra for her "

" Isn't he sweet ?" started Cat as the rest of her friends mocked her in one voice .

Cat giggled ," It's the truth "

" Robbie spoils her " informed Andre , taking a drink of his water .

" I tell him that he shouldn't but Robbie doesn't listen to me anyhow " says Cat, simply .

" Cat takes care of everyone and makes sure that Jade doesn't take turns killing us ," responded Robbie ," besides she is my girlfriend . I like to spoil my girl "

Cat leaned in to kiss him, sweetly ." I can buy us breakfast "

" Cat "

Carly sighed and wondered how exactly such a smart guy like Robbie wound up with a girl like Cat . It made no sense to her and there was something about the ditzy redhead that just bugged her . She tried to recall what Freddie had said about how those two had gotten together but she and Sam hadn't exactly paid all that much attention at the time .

Maybe they weren't as solid as they seemed .

" Nubs have that chivalry thing down ," added Sam through a mouthful of bacon ," Freddly takes care of mama's food . Puppet Boy has his priorities straight if he 's shoveling out dough to feed his girlfriend "

" It's the taking care of our girls thing . Right , Shapiro ?"

" Exactly and being a gentleman ! "

" It's soo nice and rare these days ," said Carly in a small voice ," guys don't open doors or buy us dinner all that much these days . I can buy my own breakfast but its so polite and sweet when the guy makes the gesture ….'

Gibby met her gaze ." I'll buy your breakfast, Carly "

" No! You are not buying me anything, Gibby ! Thanks but no ! "

Gibby frowned but didn't push it . He would wear Carly down yet until eventually she would start to look at him differently and see something other than shirtless Gibby who liked weird things . He had changed a lot but she just didn't seem to notice .

" It's not a problem "

" I said no " said Carly, sharply .

Cat noticed the hope in Gibby's eyes and understood it immediately . She placed her hand over his and gave him a smile ." Don't give up "

Gibby returned her smile with one of his own ." Oh, I'm really good at not giving up "

" Good " Cat returned back to her strawberries , unaware that Carly was sending Robbie her mega flirty smile and chatting him up about his writing on the .

After breakfast the group split up and headed to the College of Arts and Science campus where the Shakespeare festival was being held this year . Artists and performers were already busy setting up tents and building sets while vendors were busily preparing food to keep visitors and performers fed as well.

The campus was huge and already filled with people of different ages and backgrounds as a frenzy of excitement filled the air for the upcoming events to be taking place soon .

Beck parked the Rv and he joined Jade and the others to find out what space had been reserved for them while Freddie had already discovered Carly's spot outside to begin set up.

Jade had lucked out and gotten one of the coveted theatres to perform her play .

She closed her notebook, taking in the enormous stage and the large seating capacity of the theatre and a new energy and nervousness filled her belly .

" Wow, this is amazing "

" Looks like you got prime stage, babe " Beck kissed her lightly ," check out that stage "

" We have a lot of work to do ," managed Jade through her own shock ," we didn't even bring enough props , let along set dressings . I didn't think the stage would be this big …"

Andre helped Tori on the stage as they got the feel of the lighting ." This is awesome, Jade "

" I think its bigger than the Black Box at home "

Cat ran on the stage from backstage where she had been checking it out ." This is huge ! There is even a separate make up room ! Tons and tons of racks for costumes ….we could have more costumes if you want now "

" I'm going to see if we need to talk to someone about using what set dressings are back here , Jade , or we might have to find a Home Depot so we can get plywood and paint " contributed Robbie , helpfully .

" Let's get to work ! " Jade kissed her boyfriend and went into director mode , focusing on details and set up as she made her way to the stage , a thrill coursing through her ," the man said its ours all week so we ought to get the sound equipment out first . This is going to be a lot more work staging it than at home ..maybe we need a couple more people to help "

" I'm sure Freddie and Gibby would be glad to help ," suggested Robbie ," Carly only got two days on their skit . I could ask them for you , jade "

" Thanks, Rob, that'd be great ," Jade walked the stage ," I don't really want to have to call Sinjin and Burf . I can barely stand them at school , let alone have to deal with them on my vacation even though they know their stuff "

" It would take Sinjin a month to get here on his bicycle , babe " reminded Beck, helpfully .

" Yea because Sinjin is stupid ," dismissed Jade ," Robbie , are there any set dressing back there that would work for our woods and the town ?"

" Lots of building sets but I don't think you'd actually like them but I looked up home improvement stores on my pear pad ," informed Robbie ," there is a Home depot like 2.5 miles from here . Andre and I can go pick up supplies and we can build our own tonight "

Jade contemplated this and went with her gut ." Here's my card , get what we need and don't stop for flowers for Cat or anything else , Robbie "

" Oh I love when Robbie brings me flowers ! "

Robbie took the card from Jade and Andre took it from him. " Let's go , man "

Beck tossed him the keys " I'm going to stay here and help the girls "

" I don't know how I feel about my purple gown now , Jade ," debated Tori ," the lighting is going to be a lot different here . Maybe the red dress Cat designed would be better ?"

" You want to play Ana like a scarlet woman , Tori , cause I didn't write her that way but I can "

" Nooooo but it was just a thought " argued Tori, bracing herself for a fight with jade .

As Robbie and Andre left the theatre , they passed a blonde haired man dressed casually in jeans and a polo shirt entering and studying the group bickering on stage .

One of the beautiful young women were Jade West and his playwright extradanaire .

He couldn't wait to meet the most intriguing talent to come across his desk in ages .

" Sam, put the pretzel down and help hold this board ! " called out Freddie as they worked together to build the make shift scenery for Carly's play . It would have been much easier if Spencer had come along to help but he was busy with Trina .

Sam sent him a filthy looked and crammed the rest of the pretzel in her mouth, chewing .

" Hold the chizz, Freddo, you guys got it ! "

While Sam held the two by fours , Gibby and Freddie hammered the pieces together leaving Carly to hold the other end by herself .

" Uh, guys , this is getting a little bit heavy over here " muttered Carly , climbing the ladder and reaching for a handful of nails to take care of it for herself while Sam and Freddie bickered over just using an old backdrop from Icarly instead .

Concentrating on the task at hand , Carly stretched and grasped the wood then slipped on the step with a start ," OOOOOH"

Just then Robbie and Andre rounded the corner and spotted her and began to run towards her , shouting to the others . " Guys , Carly is falling !"

Before either Gibby or Freddie could react , the ladder wobbled and as Andre grasped it , Robbie moved swiftly and caught Carly in his arms as the nails scattered around Andre and the ground and as Freddie , Gibby, and Sam let out a sigh of relief .

" Carly ! "

" Carls, are you alright ? "

Carly felt another ping in her heart and slid her arms around Robbie's neck, feeling shaky inside ." Robbie , you saved my life "

He smiled warmly ." Are you alright , Carly ? Those little flats are cute but not really good for climbing ladders , you know "

She sighed and met his friendly gaze ." You know about girls shoes ?"

" Cat loves shoes and I pay attention ," admitted Robbie , blushing a little at her steady gaze ," give Andre that hammer , Carly "

She relinquished the tool to Andre who took it with a concerned expression .

" She looks a little pale, Robbie ," brought up Andre ," why don't you sat the girl down and you and I can help with this before we get the truck "

Robbie sat Carly on the ground and she was reluctant to let go of him.

" Still a little on the shaky side , Robbie " admitted Carly , touching his arm, " thank you . I'm so glad that you caught me "

" You're welcome , Carly " said Robbie as her friends pushed him aside to rush to her .

" You scared the chizz right out of me , kid ," Sam sat down beside her ," you should have left that side to Gibby and Freddie . Didn't I tell you that your not good with tools ? Haven't I told you that before ?"

" I'm fine , Sam, I just lost my footing " insisted Carly , a small smile forming across her lips ," besides Robbie saved me . One minute I slipped and the next I'm in his arms like Superman rescuing Lois Lane "

" More like Super Nerd "

Freddie extended a hand to his friends ." Thanks for grabbing Carly, dude . I cant believe we didn't see her ..she usually doesn't like to help with set stuff unless we give her the staple gun. Never thought she'd try to do it on her own this time …"

" I was just glad I was able to catch her before she fell and hurt herself "

Gibby knelt down beside Carly , concern and worry evident in his face as he handed her a bottle of water ." Here , Carly, drink this water . You look white as a ghost …."

" Thanks, Gibby " Carly took the water and slid her gaze right back to Robbie with a dreamy sigh . Her heart was pounding and her emotions were twisting and turning in her chest making her feel more alive and awake around Robbie than she had ever felt about any guy in such a long time .

This was a sign to her , for sure , that it was time to stop playing life so safe .

Gibby caught her staring at Robbie and chewed on the inside of his lip . " Why do you have that weird look on your face?"

" I don't have a weird look ! Mind your own business , Gibby ! "

Flashing her a hurt look, Gibby walked back over to nail some more boards together while Carly stood and made her way over to where Robbie and Andre were helping Freddie finish up.

" How you doing there , Carly Shay ? You feel better ? " asked Andre , curiously .

" I'm fine " assured Carly with a smile as she approached Robbie ," Um, Robbie , I just wanted to thank you again for saving my life ! You were incredible !"

Robbie shrugged with a smile ." It was just good timing but I'm really happy you didn't hurt yourself , Carly "

" Well, I'll be the judge of what was amazing and you were " said Carly in heavy flirty mode ," modest and gracious and sweet , Robbie , and thank you "

She leaned in and kissed his cheek ." Thank you soo much , Robbie "

Robbie colored and stepped back, feeling uncomfortable ." You're welcome "

" Rob, let's go ," Andre stepped in," don't want to be building dang set till midnight tonight once we get the supplies . You know that Jade would totally make us too "

Waving goodbye to their new friends , Robbie and Andre headed towards the vehicle .

" That was pretty cool back there , man . You gonna tell Cat you saved Carly ? "

" It was hardly a burning building, Andre , " dismissed Robbie , nonchalantly ," and it was mainly timing on my part. It wasn't a big deal and don't you mention to Cat about Carly kissing my cheek either …."

" It was harmless, Robbie . You should tell your girlfriend before it comes back to bite you in your scrawny butt instead " advised Andre , taking in account that secrets could only damage a relationship .

He had the whole personal experience to go on.

" Cat and I are trying to get past all this jealousy issues in our relationship, Andre ," admitted Robbie ,ruefully ," she has them and I have them too. I just don't see how mentioning a silly harmless thank you is worth it for us "

" Beck and Tori "

" This is nothing like that ! Come on, do you want to drive ?"

" If Carly tells Cat then I'll be telling you I told you so, Robbie " Andre took the keys from his friend as they climbed in the truck and headed for the Home Depot .

" I hope it's alright if I'm early ," brought up a nervous Trina , taking a drink of her iced tea ," Tori and her friends went to have breakfast with your sister and everyone and I hate eating alone . Though the breakfast buffet had awesome waffles but I just ate a bagel since I didn't want to add anything to your pictures of me …"

She laughed and sat her cup of tea on the table ." I could make you breakfast if you're still hungry, Trina . "

Spencer sat up the easel and couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the beauty in front of him. Today she wore some pale lavender minidress tunic thingie that showed off her incredibly long legs encased in another pair of glamorous heels .

His throat went dry at her nearness and the thoughts that were flying through his brain had nothing to do with painting the young woman but more along the lines of ravishing her on the coffee table since they had the apartment to themselves . He couldn't seem to think clearly around Trina and she was tempting him just by being in the room .

His thoughts were anything but professional and he'd only known her for a day .

That was nuts ! Even for him!

Maybe he hit his head harder than he thought ' mused Spencer to himself and stepped back from her , determined to not lose control of the situation here .

Trina flashed him a wide smile ." Thanks but I'm really not hungry or anything . Actually this is going to sound silly but I'm actually nervous about modeling ..I know it seems like I'm too perfect and confident to be nervous but this is my first real gig "

" It's not silly at all, Trina . I'm kind of nervous too "

Trina stared at him, noticing the warmth and the hint of desire in his eyes and took a step closer to him." You're an artist, Spencer , with all this amazing creativity and just …everything ! Why would you be nervous to paint lil old me ?"

Spencer's brain cells flew out of the door and he couldn't focus when her words were making his insides do the cha cha cha and he couldn't dance .

" I think you're the prettiest model that I have ever seen, Trina "

Electric currents pulsated between them, hovering and winding in the air around them, and the pull was almost irrestible . Neither of them were prepared for this and Spencer kept stepping backwards as if putting distance between them would make this wild attraction just disappear .

Trina didn't believe in not following her instincts and had always done what she wanted to do . Where guys were concerned, she had no qualms over making the first mood , regardless of the outcome, and she was drawn to Spencer Shay with every vein in her body . It was thrilling and made her nervous in ways she didn't begin to understand but oh how she wanted too .

" You are pretty cute yourself, Spencer ' Trina closed the distance between them ," and I mean that in the best way possible . Not pretty boy handsome like Beck or anything …"

" So, I…..I think you should pose in front of the window " stammered Spencer , picking up his paintbrush off the table and flourishing it in front of him .like a weapon ," we can see how that looks and get us started , I think "

" Oh Ooookay ," Trina planted herself in front of him," what kind of pose ?"

Spencer couldn't breathe and her perfume was intoxicating him ." Uuuuuuh agh um anything is good . Any pose, Trina "

His obvious nervousness gave Trina the courage she needed and without a thought that she could be jeopardizing her new job, she pressed her body against his and brought her lips down to his in a kiss that spun around them .

Spencer grasped her hips , pulling her closer and couldn't get enough of her , her name falling off his lips as if it was the most natural thing in the world .

" Trina "

Her heart fell and collided with his and she smiled against his lips as she met him kiss for kiss . If this was what love felt like she wanted it to last forever and ever .

" I know, Spencer , I feel it too ! " Trina wound her arms around his neck," I wanted to kiss you yesterday after I hit you but I was freaking out ! "

It was as if her words had poured cold water and realization dawned on Spencer all at once . He was making out with his model ! Trina was his model and he wasn't one of those guys who used women -this was wrong !

He had to stop now !

" Trina , stop " Spencer removed her arms and stepped back from her , unaware of the confusion that was evident on her face ," we …..this isn't professional. I am…." He needed to breathe again and not look at her swollen lips and heaving chest and this want he had for her ," I'm your boss and this isn't right ."

" I…but we …I know you loved kissing me, Spencer ! "

Love kissing her -she had no idea how true that was !

" We need to be able to work together and us making out is very ..un..unprofessional , Trina . I'm…I'm sorry but why don't we just get started on work and forget this ever happened between us " Spencer turned around , picking up a tray of paint to distract himself from her ," I'm sure ..maybe sure it has something to do with the accident . "

He laughed at the lie and caught a glimpse of her trying to work through her emotions .

" I know what I felt , Spencer ! " Trina tried to think what her sister might do but then Tori was clueless with men ," and I know when a man is interested in me and you are but I can be professional , if you can. I need to go fix my hair and touch up my make up …"

" Bathroom is around the corner "

Trying to regain her composure and hoping she didn't fall over her heels , Trina ran into the bathroom and slammed the door , furiously .

" Whoa " Spencer plopped down on the couch , staring at the door, and tried to calm down his own racing heart and the fact that he wanted Trina Vega without a doubt but it was impossible . God, she was fascinating and gorgeous and soo funny !

It was an impossible situation and he wanted to throw a tantrum but that wouldn't solve anything . He could be the adult here and everything would work out , he hoped .

Trina stepped out of the bathroom, her clutch in hand , and smoothed her lips .

" Spencer , all set now . Is this outfit alright ? You never told me if I needed to bring different clothes or not ….since you're paying me by the hour, we should probably start working "

If he wanted it boring and professional, she was an actress and she would show him that girl .

" Good point , Trina ," said Spencer , awkwardly ," why don't you strike a pretty pose over by the window and I'm going to paint you first "

Trina dropped her purse on the table and their arms brushed , she lifted her eyes and met the heat in his ." You think I'm pretty "

" I'm sure all of your boyfriends back home tell you that you're pretty , Trina "

Trina lifted a heel and flashed a seductive smile fro him." I don't have any boyfriends back in L.A. Guys there are such ..morons "

Spencer gulped ," I believe that "

Trina was going to be difficult to resist he was very much afraid what would happen if they were left alone in the apartment for hours ..he prayed to God that Carly and the others would hurry up and get back from the festival set up to save him from himself .

Too bad Tbo was out of town because he really needed serious help here .

" Oh I got a text from Robbie ," exclaimed Cat , who was on stage sorting through the props and itemizing off of Jade's new list ," he and Andre got the paint and plywood . They are heading back now …oh, and Andre had to buy a saw since we didn't bring yours "

Jade stepped off of the ladder where she and Beck were checking the lighting .

" I could use another saw " brought up Jade ,as her boyfriend brought his hands around her waist ," it'll save me from borrowing all the time while we're here . I think we ought to frame up the farmhouse where Ana sneaks out to meet Roland at for their trysts cause I don't want to use all the lame Our Town backdrop they have in backstage . Beck, you going to draw it up for me ?"

He cupped her cheek with his hand , lovingly ." You got it , Jade "

He kissed her , firmly as Tori and Cat smiled at each other and themselves .

" Amazing chemistry ," the blonde haired man clapped as he approached the stage ," am I seeing Morgana and Samuel revisited on the set ?"

" Who is that guy ?" asked Cat, peeking her head around the corner to look .

" I don't know but for an older dude he's pretty good looking " commented Tori , simply .

Beck's hands lingered around his girlfriends waist as they turned around to see who was talking . The guy was dressed sort of preppy and was in his thirties with an obvious air of authority about him but besides all that , he seemed to be checking out Jade .

" More like who the hell are you? I'm Jade West , that is Beck, and I can kiss my boyfriend whenever I want "

The man chuckled, amused by her moxey ." Erwin said you were something else and I believe it. Jade, I'm Ian Reardon ," He joined them onstage ," I'm in charge of the theatre department at the Seattle university and this is my stage . I was impressed with your submission of Loves Lament and proposed that we showcase your work in this stage "

Jade swallowed her brief moment of embarrassment ." Mr. Reardon, uh, sorry about that ," Jade shook the mans hand ," I didn't know who you were and my friends and I have been trying to figure out how much work we need to do to prepare so we can even start rehearsing the play. This theater is incredible "

" We take the arts very seriously here , Jade ," Ian held her hand a moment longer than necessary before dropping it ," we have a full immersion program here involving all acts of theater and mentoring as well. I know you probably just got here and might be overwhelmed a bit preparing for the festival but I wanted to offer my assistance and let you know that I'm not against wooing you about considering this college "

" Wooing," Cat giggled and touched Tori's hand ," that's so funny . Wooing is romantic . Why would a college professor want to woo Jade ? "

" I think he means more like convince her this college is for her " added Tori

" You might want to reconsider the wooing part ," laughed off Beck, matter of fact," Jade hates that word but I'm sure she'd be interested in knowing more about this college "

" I can speak for myself, Beck "

Beck nodded and smiled at her ." I'm going to go see if Robbie and Andre need help unloading so that we can get started on this farmhouse set so we can take a break for lunch later "

He nodded at the professor and headed up the aisle and out of the door to wait for his friends . There was something too off about the guy but he didn't want to ruin Jade's chance without her hearing him out and he had no clue what college she was even considering . She had mentioned NYADA once but he didn't think she was seriously considering it because it was awfully strict and restricting in some of the mandatory classes and that wasn't Jade . His Jade loved a challenge but redistricting her talent and strict structure just wasn't how she lived but the theatre program this dude had been describing sounded a little more like the atmosphere at Hollywood Arts so that might appeal to her .

Maybe he should consider it too since they were a team . God, she would kill him with her sharp tongue if she knew he was thinking it and he would love every second of it .

Catching Jade's gaze, Beck gave her a encouraging look and she continued talking with the man about her play and his phone went off .

Andre and Robbie were back and it was time to get back to work .

Out the door he went , Jade turned her attention back to Reardon and tried not to show the small build up of excitement that this dude played a part in getting her play in the festival .

" You and your boyfriend have amazing chemistry ," Ian brought up," I'm excited to see you bring your characters to life . The snippet that Sikowitz sent was impressive but I am curious to see how multi talented you both are "

" I am talented and so is Beck ," stated Jade , no pretenses up," he is an incredible actor "

" But you wrote, directed , and starred in Loves Lament for your school, Jade ?"

" I wrote it when Beck and I were broken up ," explained Jade ," I wrote a lot while we were apart . You know Sikowitz ? I'm figuring you must since you called him by his stupid name a couple of times ..he assigned us these crazy romantic assignments for a month and Beck and I blew him away with the woods scene between Samuel and Morgana . "

" Impressive as was your resume of your other scripts , jade ," brought up a quite serious Ian ," I would love a chance to discuss this further with you at another time . I have a meeting soon and I don't want to hold you up but can I contact you about maybe having some coffee and discussing your play and the Seattle University in depth ?"

" Sounds cool ," agreed Jade , a little overwhelmed at his interest . She didn't get phased or overwhelmed but this was new and about her future and she couldn't even respond but to nod ," do you have my email ? Here is my cell …contact me anytime "

" Thanks and I will be in touch, Jade . " Ian nodded at her , took the number into his own phone and left the theatre to head for his meeting as Cat and Tori ran out of the wings to tug on their friends arm, happily .

" This is so exciting, Jade ! He hasn't even seen your play and he wants to recruit you for this college ! Where 's Beck ? Did you tell him ?"

" Let go of me NOW! " Jade pushed Tori off of her ," the dude is just trying to suck up early before all the other recruits come to see Loves Lament . Preppy Ken might run a really cool theatre department and I was really into the immersion program but it doesn't mean anything ! "

" It means a lot, Jade !

Jade didn't want to think too deeply about what Tori was saying or even contemplate the very slim chance that she also could be right .The future was something she thought about seldom -the idea of where she and Beck fit into it was all just too hard and confusing leaving her with more questions than she had the answers for so she shrugged off the perky brunettes words and wondered to herself if, eventually , she 'd wish that she hadn't.


	10. Chapter 10

The Hollywood Arts gang had built the sets and were finishing up painting them when the iCarlies bombarded them in the theatre . Jade was finishing up painting the barn backdrop while Beck took the paintbrush away from her , Andre and Tori were cleaning up the painting supplies while Cat and Robbie were working on the sound board together .

" Wow , this theatre is massive ! That is a cool barn….I didn't know you had farmers in your play, Jade " commented Gibby, plopping down in one of the seats .

Beck took the paintbrush from his girlfriend in case she decided to throw it at their new friend . He didn't want to take the chance with her .

" More like it's a secret meeting place for Tori and Andre 's characters "

" We got the whole forbidden love story going in Jade's play ,dude "

" Are you guys about ready to call it a day ? " inquired Freddie ," we were about ready to head back home and get cleaned up, thought you guys might like to get some dinner and do something for fun "

" We still have a lot of work to do here " informed a determined Jade, stepping back to survey her work ," we haven't even checked out the lighting yet "

" I can do that tomorrow , Jade " volunteered Robbie ," I don't think it will take that long "

" The set needs to dry, Babe " Beck kissed her brow and steered her away from the stage before she went back into crazy ,nervous director mode again .

" Fine " Jade agreed , reluctantly ," so, you guys have anyplace fun around here ? "

" Oh karaoke could be fun ," interjected Cat , excitedly ," we like to go to Nozu on Karaoke night or karaoke Dokee but I imagine you don't have them around here "

" You guys want to go .sing for fun ?" asked Sam, making a face .

" Sure do ," chimed in Tori ," unless you have other fun things planned for us or if you don't want to go with us , we can hang out together by ourselves "

" I do know of one place that has karaoke " suggested Carly , flashing a mega watt flirty smile towards Robbie who was apparently whispering sweet nothings in Cat's ear ," I think it sounds like a lot of fun. We don't karaoke enough these days and I do like to sing "

Sam sent her best friend a look as if to say' what the chizz ?' but kept quiet .

" You want to take them to Luke's club ," interjected Sam," don't know what you guys are into but they have a stage .Not to mention pretty tasty chicken wings "

" Buffalo nuggets ?" asked Beck, curiously . He was a big fan of them and regardless of the fact that they should be trying new foods , he was famished and chicken sounded good .

" Burger would be good too " Andre brushed some paint off of Tori's cheek ," how did you get paint on your face ? We were painting the same strip of barn , Tor "

Tori couldn't help but laugh at herself ." Must have brushed up against it "

" Good look for you " He couldn't resist teasing her and grinned when she joined in .

Things really did feel right with them again and he wasn't going to question them or give her any reason to second guess why that was and go back to freaking out .

Tonight he was going to approach things as if he was taking her out on a date and maybe not tell her that and see how things played out between them instead .

Be easier to back off later , if he needed too .

" So can we get supper at this place , you guys ?"

" The foods good " explained Freddie , sliding a arm around his girlfriends waist ," unless you guys wanted to try something else . I'm not a big fan of sushi or anything but there are some sushi places in town ….."

" NO " chorused Beck, Robbie, and Andre in one voice and much to the girls dismay .

Cat sighed ," We like sushi "

" You girls picked the karaoke ," Robbie wrapped his arms around Cat ," we get to pick supper tonight . I think that is only fair "

" I suppose that makes sense " sighed Cat , smiling up sweetly at him .

" Alright now that that is settled why don't we go home and get ready ," Carly made herself known ," I need to check in with Spencer anyway about tonight "

She made a face ," not that I need my brothers permission to do anything but he thinks Luke's is a dive "

" I bet he'll be too busy mooning over Trina to care one way or the other "

" Gibby, that is gross ! Spencer isn't moony over Trina ! "

" I don't see why its gross, Carly ," replied a baffled Gibby ," Trina is hot and there was some like massive sparks flying between them the other night and all they were doing were eating spaghetti tacos "

" I wouldn't think anything of it ," dismissed Tori , climbing down the stage to rejoin everyone ," Trina flirts with anything in jeans . My sister isn't serious about any one guy "

" This is true ," volunteered Robbie ," Trina used to flirt with me to get me to do things for her all the time . She hates me too "

" I never liked that Trina used you either " says Cat, under her breath .

" Well, my brother gets involved really fast and that would be crazy " stated Carly ," so why don't we all go get cleaned up and meet back at my place around eight ?"

" Let's do it " voiced Andre ,for the rest of his friends ," tonight is on "

" So, let me get this straight ," Trina crossed her legs together on the stool, tossing her dark hair provocatively off of her shoulders as she took in what he had been telling her about his life ," your Dad doesn't want to turn your sister or you into Army brats so he leaves you in charge to raise your teenage sister all by yourself "

Spencer paused his painting to gaze thoughtfully at her and loved how much energy she exuded . They had been talking for hours now as he painted her and it amazed him at how fascinating Trina really was and he wanted to know more about her .

" I don't know if I would say that about it ," He considered , carefully then conceded ," I do have legal guardianship to Carly in case anything would happen to Dad but okay I guess that is pretty accurate "

" Wow ," Trina was impressed and she didn't impress easily or at all ," so you basically gave up having any social life to be a parent to Carly . Spencer , that is so incredible ! How many guys can or would do that kind of thing ? "

He shrugged but a wide smile tugged at the corners of his mouth." I wanted to do it Trina . I mean it isn't that much of a big deal and Carly is a good kid "

" Yes it's a big deal ! I don't do compliments , Spencer , so you should just thank me "

Spencer sat the brush down and marveled at how flawless Trina was or how much she inspired him.

" Thanks " Spencer walked over to her , adjusting her stool, and the sultry scent of her perfume hitting him in the solar plexus as he was suddenly more aware of how close they were ," but what about you ? How come no boyfriends back in Hollywood ? You're beautiful and funny and confident, I just don't get it "

Trina found herself coloring at his compliment and their eyes met and held.

" Never met the right guy in California , I suppose ,Spencer "

He gulped and touched a soft strand of hair laying against her shoulder , awareness and heat pulsating between them as if the kiss this morning was both playing heavily on their minds .

" We..we shouldn't be doing this , Trina "

Her smile was slow and seductive ." Doing what, Spencer ?"

Spencer ignored the warnings in his head and touched her cheek and marveled how soft her skin was ." You really gave me a concussion , Trina , because I cant stop thinking about you ! "

Trina stood up and her expression was soft and tentative ." I don't want you to stop, Spencer ! I don't see why we should stop it at all…not when we both feel it "

" you are dangerous , Trina Vega "

Just as he was about to kiss her, the door burst open bringing in Carly, Tori, and Cat chatting animatedly about boys and other girly things and ruining the moment before it could even happen .

He stepped back as if they had dowsed him with cold water ." Hey there girls "

Trina shot her sister and Cat a death glare worthy of Jade West ." Crap "

Spencer backed away from Trina and began cleaning off his paintbrushes to occupy himself and forced casualness back into his tone .

" How did the set up go, kiddo ? You guys get your backdrop all ready for the festival or do you want me to come down tomorrow and give you a hand ?"

" No, we got it ," Carly answered ," how's the painting coming along ? "

She couldn't help but note how nervous her older brother seemed or the weird vibe she was getting off of Trina and thought of Gibby's earlier comment which was nuts .

" Wow, Spencer , this is really good ! "

" Trina is an inspiration ," admitted a sincere Spencer ," its easy to paint her , Carly "

" That really does look like my sister " marveled an impressed Tori, checking it out as well as Trina motioned for her to join her in the corner ," you do know Trina is going to want you to make her a copy of this for her room "

" Shut up, Tori, and come here " hissed Trina , jerking her head again .

" What do you want ?" asked Tori , curiously ," I need to start getting ready for tonight "

" I don't care what you need ," declared Trina , urgently ," um, Cat, come here too. "

" Kay kay " Cat joined the girls near the huge window overlooking the loft ," what is it ? Is it a secret ? I love secrets …"

" Cat and Tori are going to help me fix my make up " Trina shoved both of them inside the bathroom around the corner while Carly and Spencer were talking .

" You've never let me touch your make up "

" I can totally redo your make up for you ! I just need to get my make up bag upstairs "

" This isn't about my make up, you idiots ," Trina worried her lower lip," your timing sucks ! Why couldn't you find somewhere else to be so that I can be alone with Spencer "

" Trin, are you crushing on your boss ? That isn't cool plus its kind of gross . "

" This isn't a stupid crush, Tori ," Trina was worked up in a frenzy ," and Spencer isn't gross . Gross is Robbie "

Cat put her hands on her hips ." Robbie isn't gross ! We've talked about this already ! "

" Fine, right, I'm sorry , Cat , but the thing is that I really , really have strong feelings for Spencer and I need for you to keep his sister occupied so he and I can see what is going on between us "

Cat's expression softened into a smile ." You really like him "

" I really do " admitted Trina , lightly ," and he thinks im pretty and funny . Can you keep Carly from interrupting us so I can make him see that he wants me "

Tori couldn't believe what she was hearing and had to be the practical one in this .

She hated to throw cold water on her sisters idea of romance but this was crazy even for Trina and as usual her big sister just wasn't thinking things through .

" Trina , you cant be serious ," stated Tori, matter of fact ,' Spencer is old ..like a lot older than you. Like Sikowitz old and you know that is gross so don't even deny it and you shouldn't be wanting to date him in the first place ..he's your boss "

" He can fire me and we can date , Tori "

" I give up ! You're nuts ! I'm going to go now and get ready for tonight "

Tori shook her head at her sister and left the bathroom passing Spencer and Carly who were having a disagreement .

" Luke's is a dive ," argued Spencer ," I don't care if Sam knows the owner because her Mom dated the dude or that he's modeled the club after a blues club off a soap opera, I really don't like the idea of you guys hanging out there "

" Our guests want to karaoke and Luke's has the coolest atmosphere for fun, Spencer "

" Fine but I'm going along with you guys " declared Spencer ," I'll hang back at a separate table so your new Hollywood friends don't think I'm the dork who is spoiling your fun and their fun but I will be there "

" Sam can take care of any problems that might come up..not that I'm expecting any. Not to mention that girl Jade is scary…I really think we're going to be safe "

" Your still not going to change my mind "

" Change your mind about what ?" asked Trina as she and Cat rejoined them in the living room .

" Carly and the guys are taking your sister and everyone to a club tonight ," explained Spencer ," I'm going along to chaperone "

" Chaperone ? Oh, well, that couldn't be more perfect because I am their chaperone too , Spencer ! Isn't that great ! We can chaperone together tonight "

He swallowed the lump lodged in his throat and nodded ." Perfect "

" Well, I'm going to get changed ," announced Cat ," I think I'm in the mood for a dress tonight and pink. Robbie loves me in pink "

Carly watched as the redhead went upstairs and considered this new piece of information.

"Pink eh," murmured the pretty brunette , under her breath," I love pink "

Robbie Shapiro wouldn't know what hit him when she went into flirty Carly mode and she was playing with the intent of winning her a brand new boyfriend .

This afternoon only confirmed what she already felt in her heart and that was that it must have been fate that had brought Robbie to Seattle and into her life .

Carly always believed in fate and true love and here it was for her .

Though it was a known fact that it could take as long as two hours for Carly to get prettied up, she made record time painting her nails, fixing her hair , and finding the perfect dress while Cat and Tori were still upstairs getting ready to go out .

If there was one thing she had learned from her best friend it was that getting the upper hand was important and Carly knew she could apply it to a rather complicated romantic situation .

She didn't expect the complications to last that long after all and there were very few boys that were immune to her flirtations and charms .

The doorbell buzzed and Carly yelled ," Come in "

Robbie stepped in, closing the door behind him, and looked around for his girlfriend.

" Hi Carly ," Robbie rocked back on his heels ," I don't suppose Cat is ready yet ?"

" Nope ," Carly smoothed the skirt of her pink dress ," last time I was upstairs she and Tori were debating over heels or flats to wear. " She let out a laugh ," Silly thing to be debating over and I wore the flats but not to worry , Robbie . I'm not planning on climbing any ladders tonight …"

" Oh, sometimes Cat thinks she's too short " replied Robbie , knowingly ," must be one of those nights. You look very nice, Carly "

Carly beamed and twirled in her dress - a sleek pale pink strapless number that hit just above her knees , and felt lovely .

" I'm happy that you like it , Robbie ," Carly advanced closer to him, touching his arm," I was hoping you would dance with me tonight . Do you dance ?"

Robbie gulped nervously and took a step back from her ." I'm Cat's fella . She's my girl and I am her fella, Carly "

" I don't think she would mind if you danced one little dance with me, Robbie "

Robbie wasn't sure what exactly was going on here and Andre or beck weren't around but he was almost positive that Carly was coming onto him.

" You don't know my girlfriend ," stated Robbie , beginning to feel slightly uncomfortable as the brunette inched closer to him ," Cat gets really jealous ! "

" That would be silly ," Carly straighten his collar on his blue shirt ," we are friends. Aren't we, Robbie ? It's perfectly acceptable for two friends to share a dance "

" I suppose so ….." Robbie tried to ignore the softness of her perfume and darted around the couch, wishing his girlfriend or even Tori would hurry up and get their tushes downstairs .

Where the heck were they ?

" Carly is Robbie here .." Cat came downstairs ," I thought I heard his voice " Her brown eyes sparkled at the sight of her boyfriend and in a flash , she was in his arms ," Robbie ! Sorry I took so long ….oh , you look so handsome tonight "

He bent to kiss her, tenderly ." No problem, no worries , Carly and I were just talking . That's all ..talking and you look beautiful, sweetie . I love that dress on you "

Cat wore a short cotton candy pink dress with thin spaghetti straps, a pink lace bustier and a flirty, ruffled skirt and gold shiny flats . Her red hair loose off her shoulders and the sides tucked behind her ears with little hair clips .

" I was feeling some pink and look so was Carly ," Cat hugged Robbie's side and sent her new friend a warm smile ," I don't think Jade is going to sing with us tonight but Tori and I have a new song "

" I'm a girly girl , Cat . I like my skirts and dresses too "

Cat was picking up on a weird vibe from the girl and she was looking at Robbie in a curious manner which struck her as odd . Jade's earlier words about Carly being into Robbie flitted through her mind but she dismissed it …Carly seemed so super nice .

Nice girls didn't go after other girls boyfriends .

You fell in love with Robbie while he was still dating the gank .

Cat ignored her insecurity and held tight to her boyfriend convinced she was overreacting and being silly . Not every girl was after Robbie .

" I'll leave the pink to you two ," announced Tori, joining them ," Carly, you going to sing with me and Cat ? Jade changed her mind and we can make the song for three…or four ….Sam can even sing with us too "

" Thanks, Tori, but I think I'd enjoy watching you guys sing but I don't know about Sam. You'd have to ask her yourself .."

The elevator opened and Gibby stepped out appraising all three girls with male appreciation . His gaze lingering on Carly longer than the other girls and slid into an easy smile .

" You ladies look lovely " Gibby turned his attention to Carly ," you look really pretty, Carly . New dress ? I don't recognize this one …."

" Thanks, Gibby " answered Cat , breezily .

" Yes, its new " said an annoyed Carly ," it was on sale when I went skirt shopping last week . "

Gibby stiffened at her tone and sent her a questioning look. " That was a compliment, Carly , not an insult . I think you look really pretty tonight ..I'm going to go find Spencer "

Feeling a sting of rejection, Gibby headed to Spencer 's room for some dude talk .

" Whoa , I think Gibby has a little crush on you, Carly " Tori couldn't resist teasing her new friend ," that is sweet , kind of "

" Gibby has been in dating limbo since he and Tasha broke up," dismissed Carly, nonchalantly ," he's a good friend but nothing more , Tori "

" You never know ," Tori nudged her ," Cat used to say that all of the time about Robbie until they fell in love and well, Andre and I..well, we …I shouldn't try matchmaking "

" You really shouldn't , Tori " voiced Andre as he and Freddie joined the group to hang out .

His eyes swept over Tori and he was pretty sure she knocked him breathless , she was so beautiful and sexy. Her long legs were wrapped tight in skintight bright blue shiny pants that might have been leather , a funky top with black lips all over it , and her dark hair fell in soft waves across her shoulders .

The girl was sexy and hot !

" I know but I can't help it, Andre ! I want to see my friends happy "

" She means well, Carly, but don't let her try to be nosey and fix you up "

" Oh, not a problem at all , Andre " reassured Carly , sitting down on the stool and rethinking her next course of action and hoped Tori kept her nose out of things .

Tori felt Andre's heated gaze on her and lowered her lashes ." You look ..good , Andre "

His grin was slow and stirred something within her ." You look hot , Tori "

" Thanks " She couldn't seem to find her voice and her reaction to him was getting harder to control. She didn't know if she wanted to control her impulses any longer around him either," we're going to have so much fun tonight "

" Where's Sam ? " asked Carly , eager to be away momentarily from her guests to reevaluate her thoughts ," I know it doesn't take her almost 2 hours to get ready unless I help her and I've been stuck here with Cat and Tori "

" She's on her way ," explained Freddie ," she got into it with her Mom "

Carly nodded in understanding then let out a sigh." Freddie , could you go talk to Gibby for me ? I think I might have wounded his ego a little bit earlier and he's been in talking with Spencer for like 15 minutes now "

" You could be a little nicer when you reject him, Carly " reminded Freddie , knowingly ," I'll go talk to him "

He didn't wait for her to answer but made his way around the corner to Spencer's room.

Freddie found Gibby standing , hands tucked in his pockets of his khaki pants , and listening as Spencer rambled on like the mad man that he was .

" I should meet her at the hotel and pick her up ," debated Spencer, pulling out a suit and tossing it on the bed ," no sense in Trina having to take a taxi when I can pick her up . After all, we are chaperoning this shindig together so it makes sense "

" Are you dating Trina now, Spencer ? "

" I don't know if dating is the right word ..I think Trina is the most amazing woman I have ever met in my life is all , Freddie "

Freddie and Gibby shared a look of amusement ." Hey, she's like what the same age as Tori and Carly ? Isn't she ? So if you end up dating her , Spencer, it would almost be like you were dating your sister "

" Dude ! I had a cousin who did that once and it wasn't Roxanne the demon spawns daughter either ! "

The guys chuckled among themselves as Spencer sank down to sit on his bed , confused and torn and feeling as if he was back to square one again .

" Trina is older than the girls ," he insisted though more to himself than his friends ," she'll be 19 soon. That isn't so young and we …. We have a lot of things in common"

" She set things on fire too ?"

Spencer ignored him." Trina is ambitious and confident and she knows what she wants "

" That's not you, Spence ," Gibby put a hand on his shoulder ," you should just give the thing up before it even gets started with Trina Vega "

Spencer sighed , heart heavy, and knew there was some truth in his friends words but his head and heart had been waging a war since he met Trina .

" Your right, Gib," Spencer sent a quick text to her ," it'll never work between me and her in the first place "

Before Freddie could smooth things over with Gibby for Carly, he heard the sound of the front door and Sam as they rejoined everyone in the living room.

" Yo Freddo, where are you," Sam Puckett burst onto the scene ," Pam held me up but I'm here now and mama wants her nerd "

" Sam " Freddie leaned in to kiss her deeply and slid a possessive hand around her waist ," you look beautiful, princess . "

" Save the sap for when we ditch these losers and are alone " muttered Sam, quietly .

They moved into the room and joined the others ." Where is West and her Pretty Boy ?"

Cat held up her pear phone ." Waiting for us downstairs "

" Then lets get this show on the road , people ! There are chicken wings with my name on it and this girl is starving "

Luke's Club wasn't quite the dive the Hollywood gang had expected and it just bordered onto the not quite seedy neighborhood but the old renovated riverboat had ambiance and looked and sounded inviting if the music coming from inside was any indication

.

This place screamed fun.

The inside was all new fixtures , a gleaming brass and oak bar , led the way to the floor where cozy tables and chairs were arranged and a dance floor and stage gleamed amidst the lights.

" Whoaaa daddy , this is neat ! " exclaimed Cat as Robbie led them to a table .

" Luke is a wazbag mostly but his place is still the chizz ," replied Sam, helping the other pull some tables close together ," the dude pretends to be Luke Spencer in another life or something but a full menu , a rocking chef named Bo, and the karaoke makes it cool "

" No fake Ids tonight , Sam " reprimanded Carly, raising a questioning brow at her .

" Geesh, Carls, chill, " Sam relaxed in Freddie's arm and contemplated the menu ," its not like we're going to drink anyway . You guys drink ?"

Beck lifted a hand ." We do not "

" I might be tempted but I wont " this came from Jade who slid into a seat beside Beck.

Spencer looked at Trina as if expecting her to say something to the younger Goth girl.

" She wouldn't try to drink tonight ," he inquired," would she ?"

" I don't know and I don't actually care ," explained Trina as he pulled out a chair for her at a small table tucked in the corner ," I don't think even Jade would risk it . I'm not worried though..Jade can take care of herself "

" Do you drink , Trina ?"

She shrugged and perused a menu." I do like champagne but my Dad is a cop . A detective actually and if he ever found out I'd been drinking , I would be dead for life so no, I don't actually drink. Though I did have this hot skunk bag of a NorthRidge boyfriend at one time and he had the best fancy French champagne I have ever drank in my life …"

Spencer couldn't help but to be entranced by her ." What happened to him ?"

" I dumped his sorry North Ridge ass "

He laughed and glanced over at the table where the teenagers were laughing and placing their orders . It didn't look like they were going to party hard at this point in the night and despite everything his brain was rationalizing , he turned his attention back to the young woman by his side .

" Carly would hate my guts for life if I embarrassed her "

" Tori would just have to get over it ," dismissed Trina ," besides it looks like Andre's giving my sister some of his extra attention tonight . Thank God ! "

She placed her hand across his and sent him a mega watt smile that he felt through his bones .

" Are we going to order or talk more about our boring sisters first ? I'm really hungry "

He should have been insulted on Carly's behalf but he knew Trina wasn't being mean.

" I think we should order us some supper , Trina "

Jade leaned against Beck and scribbled notes idly on her napkin about the play , distracted .

There would be over 50 plays and mini skits at the festival and she was determined that Loves Lament would stand out and be the best .

" Babe " Beck's hand closed over hers ," we're supposed to be having fun. Not working or writing , please "

She dropped the pen and leaned back for a kiss ." I was just taking some notes for Tori about Ana while it was on my mind . She can use all the help she can get with her acting and I don't need her ruining my play "

" Tori wont ruin your play " assured Beck, kissing her temple ," come on, Jade , loosen up and have some fun tonight . No play talk tonight , leave that for the morning "

" Fine and I'm hungry ," admitted Jade ," did you order the fried veggies with the chicken wings ?"

" I know what you like "

" I know " Jade allowed the tension to slip from her shoulders and relaxed against him, comfortably .

" This is cool ," brought up Gibby," we don't come here often enough . I'm kind of glad you guys wanted to karaoke tonight …..we usually just hang at the Groovy Smoothie "

" Do you sing, man ?" inquired a polite Beck.

" I do," said an enthusiastic Gibby ," I like a lot of classics though "

" GIBBY "

" Don't encourage him , Beck ," contributed Freddie ," no one here wants to hear Gibby sing the song from the Love Boat "

" Oooh I love that song ," interjected an excited Cat ," I used to watch that show all of the time when I was little and they played reruns of it when Steven was at the special hospital. Not the one he's at now cause he's older but …..it was always funny and romantic . The Love Boat, not my brother "

Robbie entwined their fingers and searched her face for signs of anxiety but found none .

" Cat ?"

She leaned her shoulder into him and whispered ," I am fine, Robbie "

" Good ," Robbie kissed her forehead ," I was just checking "

Carly watched them , a grimace trying to find its way across her face but she managed a somewhat polite smile in its place and addressed the couple .

" So, you two are pretty serious ?"

The couple shared a loving look causing the rest of their friends to groan mockingly .

" We are ," declared Robbie , surely ," Cat and I are very serious indeed "

" True love ," Cat beamed at Robbie with love shining bright in her gentle brown eyes ," Robbie is my true love and I'm his . Isn't that right, Robbie ?"

" It sure is "

" Sweet " sighed Carly and figured another approach might be necessary here if she had any hopes of winning over Robbie from the ditzy redhead and she did ," I mean, you guys are just so sweet together " .

Tori tugged on Andre's arm , her own eyes pleading with him." You gonna sing us a song tonight ,Dre ? I was thinking we could maybe do some Countdown and shake this place up or I bet Carly and everyone would love to hear 365 Days …"

Her touch was setting his skin on fire but he didn't mind one bit ." Maybe later , Tori, but I'm kinda curious about this song you girls have been working on "

" It's just a little something us girls came up with one night when you boys were hanging out together doing whatever it is you do "

" Cat and Vega came up with it ," added Jade , briskly ," it isn't bad but I don't want to sing it with them tonight "

" Why not ?"

" I'm not in the mood " Jade shot Andre a dark look and he retreated from the question .

Jade was in a mood .

Got it loud and clear .

" Sam," asked Cat , mustering a cheerful smile and trying to be friendly for her boyfriends sake ," Freddie and Carly says that you sing . Would you like to sing with me and Tori ? The song is a lot of fun …"

Sam looked up from her chicken wings and tossed the bone on the plate .

" Not really feeling it, Red, but let's hear this sappy crappy song "

" It isn't sappy or crappy " interjected Tori, trying to keep the peace ," it is a cool song , if I do say so myself and I do. Come on, Cat "

" Yay "

Robbie , Andre , Beck, and even Jade clapped as their friends took the stage and after giving the MC their music , the girls started dancing and strutting their stuff .

Tori rolled her shoulders , shot Andre a devilishly hot grin, and started the new song , feeling it with every fiber in her because it was for their boys in the audience .

**Drivin down Sunset on a Saturday night **

It's getting kinda crazy under the lights

But we don't care we're passing our time

Watching those L.A. Boyz roll by

Cat danced around her friend , spotted her boyfriend in the audience , and focused on singing to Robbie with all of her heart .

In the drop tops, Harleys , Escalades too

A hundred different flavors to vary your view

There's one for me , and there's one for you

Watching those L. roll through

In the audience , their friends were clapping , enjoying the show and rocking out as well. While Robbie studied Cat, Carly took the chance to study the curly haired nerd and wondered what his weakness was that didn't have to do with the redhead .

He seemed awfully old fashioned which was cute and might be the key she needed to make him see the connection between them .

She felt the connection vividly so why didn't he or maybe he didn't want to admit he felt anything for her ?

That had to be it .

Looking so hot down in Hollywood

You know they got, got the goods

So ,lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz

Ridin the waves up in Malibu

You know they really get , get to you

So, lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz

Tori and Cat jumped off the stage , dancing and singing towards the table , as the brunette wove around Beck and jade to sing to Andre , who couldn't take his eyes off of her and reached for her hand . Tori never pulled away as she belted out the bridge .

Give it up, give it up

You don't have no choice

Give it up, give it up

For the L.A. Boyz

Cat smiled teasingly and sat down on Robbie's lap, turning her eyes and the song to him as he slid an arm around her waist to keep her there .

West side , east side , everywhere between

Rock stars jam on the promenade for free

Flippin their skateboards on the Venice beach

L.A. Boyz come play with me

Turn it up

Turn it up

And come play with me

Cat jumped from his lap as Tori broke from Andre and they plopped down on the stage , enjoying the song and having fun , singing together as always .

Lookin so hot down in Hollywood

You know they got, got the goods

So lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz

Ridin the waves up in Malibu

You know they really get, get to you

So lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz

Freddie bounced in his seat, enjoying the girls song , as Sam rolled her eyes at him, and continued eating the platter of wings and potato skins he had bought her as she eyed the French fries that Andre wasn't eating .

Put your number in my phone , oh, maybe I'll call you , maybe not

What you doin all alone ?

Come show me what you got , boy

Show me what you got, boy

What you got boy, show me what you …GOT!

Gibby tried to catch Carly's eye to show her that he was over his annoyance at her but she seemed to be watching Robbie , which was sort of strange .

She had flirty face too which gave him pause and worry …Carly was a nice girl who didn't use her flirty stuff on dudes who were taken but he recognized her flirt .

Carly had never used it with him ( which sucked ) but he could spot it a mile away .

Gibby glanced at Freddie wanting to ask him about it but his friend had managed to pull Sam away from her eating and into a pretty hot kiss considering they were in public so hewasnt going to be any help at the moment .

Lookin so hot down in Hollywood

You know they got, got the goods

So, lets give it up for those L.A .Boyz

Ridin the waves up in Malibu

You know they really get,get to you

So, lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz

Give it up for those L.A. Boyz ! LA BOYZ! LA BOYZ! LA BOYZ!

So, lets give it up for those L.A. Boyz !

Applause filled the riverboat as Tori and Cat bowed then hugged each other , breaking loose to rejoin their friends as a man in his mid thirties took the stage to sing some classic 80's ballads .

" That was awesome, girls ! "

Tori slid next to Andre, laughing and wrapping her arms around his neck, letting out a breath as he pushed a glass of soda her way .

" That was for our L.A. Boyz at this very table "

Andre held her gaze and brushed a strand of dark hair off her face." That was very hot "

The attraction pulsated between them , both aware of each other , and the sizzle and the pull between them felt stronger now . This was still real and it wasn't going to go away .

She dunked her face into his shoulder , sighing as a smile lifted ." You get it ..right, Andre ?"

His smile was lazy ." If your talking about what I think you're talking about then yeah, Tori, I get it "

She took a sip of the drink and allowed herself to move closer to him .

No more over thinking for Tori Vega , nope , she was done with that .

Jade glanced at them , pleased and bored at the same time ." Get a room "

" Shut up , Jade " remarked Tori, stealing a French fry and not looking at her friend

" Eat your fries, Tor, before they get cold " urged Andre, placing his hand around her waist as she dug into the food ," I got cha the mannoyanaise too "

" Thanks , Andre " Tori pressed a kiss to his cheek and decided to just see what happened tonight between her and him and take if from there ," you know me so well "

Across the room, the man singing a halfway decent version of " Waiting for a girl like you " had inspired a lot of the couples to move to the dance floor , and Trina had waited long enough. If Spencer wasn't going to ask her then she sure as hell would ask him .

" How about a dance, Spencer ?"

He stared at her, mouth gaping open as his head screamed this was a bad, bad idea.

" Uh, I ..not really a dancer , Trina "

" It's slow and you couldn't possibly mess up dancing to a slow ballad " Trina didn't take no for an answer but took his hand and led him to the dance floor ," see, not so hard "

She rested her head against his shoulder as they moved to the music and felt his heart beating against her ear.

" Now isn't this much better than us watching a bunch of teenagers "

" Yeah ," It felt as if he was tongue tied but he placed his hand on the small of her back," this isn't wise , Trina . I cant remember at the moment right now why that is …but we shouldn't be thinking about what your and I'm not thinking ..I mean, we shouldn't even being …this isn't a date "

" You really know how to flatter a girl, Spencer " Her sarcasm hid the hurt and as she was getting ready to counter with her own facts , she noticed that Andre had pulled her sister into his arms for the slow dance ,' Yes ! About freaking time Andre got down to putting the moves back on Tori ! "

Spencer blinked back the hearts in his eyes and stared at her gorgeous face in confusion .

" What …you lost me , Trina , I thought we were talking about ..us not being an us or a date "

God, he even knew what she was talking about !

Spencer was the perfect man for her and she would make him see it !

" We were but look at them ," Trina let out a happy sigh," Andre has been in love with my sister probably since day one . Its been a rough couple of months for Tori and well, me, but it ..our parents are having problems in their marriage and its been ugly "

" I'm sorry about that, Trina "

" Thanks but I can handle it ," went on Trina on a roll," our Moms turned into this gank and it hurt Dad really bad . Tori took it worse then there was this whole screwy thing before Beck and jade got back together ..Tori kissed Beck and Andre saw and broke up with her . It was bad chizz for awhile there and my baby sister has been losing her mind but I just knew she and Andre were still hung up and in love with each other . That boy better win her back over this time or I will kill him "

" That is insane "

Trina smiled ," That's my sister and her crazy friends for you "

Spencer felt his heart swell against his chest and he ran a hand through her hair .

" You love your sister "

Trina stared at him incredulously ." Well, yeah, Tori is my baby sister , you know "

" Carly is my baby sister too " Spencer covered her mouth with his , taking them under in a kiss that seemed to be endless and filled with emotions he didn't want to acknowledge just yet but that she recognized all at once .

_ .

Cat sat on her boyfriends lap and noticed he had ordered a sampler platter for them to share as she took a drink of her water.

" That was very sweet " Robbie smiled warmly at her ," you girls wrote it together ?"

" We did that night we were hanging out at Nozu and you guys didn't want to eat sushi with us "

" Sometimes we just need some meat "

" Meat and fat and grease " contributed Andre as Tori jabbed him in the middle ,playfully ," glad to see this place has some hamburgers on the menu "

" I love meat " said Sam on a sigh ," ham, ribs, burgers, all kinds of meats really . Raw fish is for the …birds "

Cat giggled ," Birds "

" Yeah, they came up with the song after Cat kept being hit on by some pretty hot guys " informed Jade , leaning in to join the conversation and watching Robbie flinch at this information ," she turned them down, you dork "

Robbie nodded ," I did not say anything, Jade "

" It was kind of all over your face, Rob " offered Beck, helping himself to a veggie .

Cat pressed her lips to Robbie's in a sweet kiss ." You're my L.A . Boy "

" Sure am "

Carly contemplated puking in her cream soda but that was just too gross so she changed tactics .

" So, Robbie , your girlfriend was telling me earlier about your blog on the Slap ," Carly turned to face him, studying him intently ," and I went back and read some of them. You are a very good writer and funny too. I loved your piece on the appeal of Sikowitz's class ….I was impressed "

" Robbie is so smart ," gushed Cat, proudly ," he's the smartest guy at Hollywood Arts even though he would never admit that he is , Carly "

" I'm hardly the smartest , sweetie " Robbie loved her praise but colored in embarrassment then continued his talk with Carly ," there was a lot of early issues with it when I first started writing it our sophomore year , Carly, but last year I found that I have a knack for the serious laced with witty comments "

" He thinks he's being witty "

" Rob's wit has improved over the years, Jade "

Carly ignored the couples remarks ." You know ,Sam does all the comedy for iCarly but I do the bulk of the writing . I just imagine you have a lot of awesome ideas about new skits that we could do, Robbie "

He blinked twice behind his glasses and wasn't sure what to say." I don't really write skits or anything , Carly, but I would love to hear the process behind iCarly besides the technical side that Freddie told me about "

The 80's ballad dude had switched to some old school Journey and a wistful expression crossed her face .

" Oh, I love this song ," sighed the brunette, a sad tone in her voice ," Cat, you wouldn't mind if I borrowed Robbie for a dance . Would you ? You remember how it felt to be single and they start playing the songs you love ….."

Sam's head shot up from across the table and she fixed her best friend with a look that demanded 'what the chizz are you doing ?" but Carly ignored her .

Cat bit the inside of her lip and glanced down at her and Robbie's intertwined fingers as a gnawing begin to grow inside of her and she knew it was the beginning of some jealousy .

She really didn't like other girls dancing with her Robbie .

" Well, …I don't know , Carly ….I mean, Robbie is my boyfriend "

Carly sent her a saccharine smile ." You are such a sweetheart, Cat ! One dance and I swear, you can have your boyfriend back "

She didn't give the redhead a chance to respond before she was yanking Robbie from his chair and leading him to the dance floor and slid her arms to encircle his neck .

Robbie felt hot under the collar and let out a breath." I'm not that great of a dancer "

" I think you are , Robbie ," Carly held tighter to him," isn't this awfully cozy "

" Maybe we should have waited for a faster song, Carly " swallowed Robbie , feeling Cat's eye on him from the table and not liking the way Carly kept moving closer to him ," um, you're a little close here . Room would be good ….you know , my girlfriend is watching us and this might look …wrong "

Carly lifted an elegant brow. " We're just dancing , Robbie "

He gulped ," I bet it might seem silly to you but you know, Cat and I always make a point to just dance the slow , romantic ones together . Just me and her …..think this is the first time I've even danced a softie with another girl "

" You're right , Robbie . That is silly "

He looked across the room and prayed that one of the guys would rescue him before Cat decided to come and kill him .

" I would have danced with Carly if she wanted to dance .." grumbled Gibby, under his breath , watching with rapt attention as the girl of his dreams kept moving closer to Robbie ," I didn't even know she was into Journey ! "

Cat was watching them dance as she shredded the pile of napkins , angrily .

" Why is she getting closer to my boyfriend ? That's a little too close to be friendly dancing ….that's not dancing with a friend "

" Carls a friendly girl, Red ," spoke up Sam in her defense ," don't get your panties in a bunch. She's probably just pmsing and Puppet Boy was being all nice to her …..I wouldn't worry too much about it "

Freddie met her gaze ." Pmsing, Sam? Seriously …." His voice was low so that the others couldn't hear them," that's even lame for you. Carly has her flirt on with my friend …while his girlfriend is at the table ..which isn't the Carly we both know "

" I know ," Sam was serious ," I'll get down to the bottom of this chizz later "

Jade leaned over and nodded to Sam, a protective look on her face ." I don't know what kind of stupid , girly games little Miss Sunshine is playing with Robbie ," hissed Jade , threatening her ," but if she screws with Cat's relationship with the nerd, I will use my brand new scissors and cut the perky right out of her "

" Keep your scissors away from my best friend, West , or I'll show you what I can do with my new butter sock " warned Sam, who wasn't phased by the Goth girls toughness ," I don't know what is going on with her but trust me , she doesn't screw with dudes who have girlfriends "

" That's not what it look like from here "

" I'll talk to her later " stated Sam, ending the discussion just as the song ended and Robbie all but ran back to the table before Carly caught up to him .

Oblivious to this new drama unfolding around them, Andre and Tori had decided to take a stroll along the docked riverboat and outside the night air had a warm breeze wafting around them , the moon hung low and bright in the sky, as Tori held onto his arm .

" Nice night out "

" Romantic even .." Tori muttered , softly ," we should probably text Cat and Robbie about it ….those two like cheesy, romantic moments like these "

" Or we could enjoy the moment by ourselves , Tori " Andre stopped walking and caught her hand into his own ," are you good with us having a moment ?"

One part of her was terrified of messing things up again but oh God, how she missed being like this with Andre !

" Yes " her voice was barely a whisper ," Dre, I …I don't want to hurt you ever again "

" You won't , baby, " reassured Andre , his voice husky with desire and his own love for her ," we're done and past all that bad chizz so let's start over again . Do you want to maybe try that ?"

" Yes , Andre , yes ! But ..I thought you wouldn't want to! " admitted Tori , taking a step forward and finding herself in his arms , clutching at the folds of his shirt ," I wont even hug Beck if you don't want me to! "

He chuckled and shook his head at her ." I trust you and Beck "

Tori's eyes widened and hope and longing pooled in them ." You do ? "

Andre nodded and decided action was better here before the girl got derailed again and the moment was lost between them for good .

" Tor, be quiet now " Andre pulled her body close to his and then his lips were drinking from hers as if he was dying from thirst and she was the ocean . It had been entirely too long since they had last kissed , last touched , and a slow burning fire igniting between them as the kiss spun them round and round , smoldering , achingly deep kisses until finally it was Tori who found the strength to back away from him.

" I've missed you soo much, Dre " Tori caught her breath and fought the desire to jump him herself this time ," and I ..I really , really want to be with you "

His grin was undeniably male as Andre gathered her into his arms, gently .

" No pressure , Tori ," Andre kissed her cheek ," you know , I want you but I also love you. That never changed , didn't go away when we weren't dating and it's not going to but I know you're still bugging so I'm cool with us taking baby steps "

" I'm not Cat , Andre ," reminded Tori, a twinkle dancing in her eyes ," I don't think baby steps , maybe somewhere in the middle , just to be safe , is good with me "

" As long as your sure , Tor "

Tori wrapped her arms around his neck and bent to kiss him." I love you too "

He wrapped his arms around her and they listened to the sounds of music and laughter coming from inside the club and Tori clutched his arm.

" Andre , I meant what I said ," There was hesitation in her tone ," I do love you and I really do want us to be together again but …see "

" You want us to keep the us working on getting back together on the down low "

One part of him had known all along that she was still skittish but the kiss and her admitting that she still loved him was all that he could see while one part of him needed a really freezing cold shower to shake off his want for her .

Still he understood how skittish and afraid she still was and this was a huge step for them so Andre knew he would accept it for what it was and then when it was all right , he and Tori would be back together .

This was massive progress . He just couldn't forget that it was .

" I'm not trying to be difficult or act like Jade or anything ," insisted Tori, trying to make him understand how she felt ," and I would never lie about loving you but I just need for the both of us to be sure this time "

" How about we look at tonight as a date ? The first of many, many dates while we're on vacation and until you're ready to go in and tell our friends we're together again "

Her eyes brightened at the idea ." We never really did the whole dating thing the first time, Andre ! I love that ! "

" I kinda figured you might ," Andre smoothed her hair ," so you want to hang out here and make out some more or go back in and sing a duet ?"

" Making out is tempting , Andre, but could we sing together ?"

Inwardly, Andre groaned but gave in to her as he always did because he would do anything for her .

" Countdown ?"

" I was thinking more to Here's to Us " Andre kissed her quickly, picked up her hand and led her back inside to rejoin the party and their friends .

" Well, I think I stepped on all of Carly's toes ," laughed Robbie , nervously as he pulled Cat closer to him ," tried to tell her I wasn't the smoothest dancer in here "

" Robbie exaggerates ," Carly slid into her seat, smiling widely at him," Thank you so much for loaning me your honey, Cat "

Cat met her gaze, levelly ." Robbie was just being nice dancing with you , Carly ," informed Cat, her tone sharp," My boyfriend is always nice "

Robbie took Cat's hands into his own ." Did you want to dance , cutie ?"

" No " Cat relaxed against his chest and tried to calm her jittery and angry nerves that were fighting within her but she didn't want to cause a fight with Robbie ," I'm good ."

Robbie didn't push her ." So, Freddie , I have been wanting to show my girl the sights around here . Thought maybe you could recommend an internary for us "

Sam made a face." Iternary ? Now I want to hit him too…he speaks nerd too "

" Sam " said Freddie , affection and love in his voice ," don't " He squeezed her hand and then continued his conversation with his friend ," Actually I thought after you guys were done helping Jade at the theatre tomorrow night , you and Cat could go out with me and Sam"

" Like a double date . I like it and we can take in the sights ?"

" I was thinking you guys would enjoy downtown," continued Freddie ," and we could have some supper together . There are some great restaurants ….."

" You'd better feed me if we're going out again with them, Freddorkly "

" Do you have baby golf ? Robbie and I like to play baby golf , Freddie "

" Holy chizz , shoot me now ! I do not want to play stupid mini golf , Freddie "

Freddie looked at her , his expression firm and loving ." Cut me some slack, baby, you know I've been looking forward to us going out together since they got here . We don't play mini golf so who knows it might be fun and they have a snack bar there "

Sam crossed her arms ." Fine but I'm picking where we eat at "

He leaned in to kiss her lips ," You got it "

Cat rested her head against Robbie's shoulders and addressed Freddie ." We don't have to play baby golf if you and Sam don't want to, I just thought it might be fun "

" No, I actually know of a place near the arcade , Cat ," replied Freddie with a warm smile ," Sam and I will plan a really cool double date for the four of us "

" That sounds rad cool "

Beck groaned ," Rob, stop saying that "

" Right , not cool " said a sheepish Robbie ," oh , look there's Andre and Tori and they look awfully ..close "

All eyes turned towards them out of curiosity .

" Tori looks happy " observed Beck, hoping this was a good indication she was getting back to her old , normal Tori self .

" They look like they've been making out to me ' added Gibby , loudly .

" We can only hope " spoke up Jade ," this dance those two morons are doing is old "

While the rest of the table was debating on the status of Andre and Tori's relationship, Sam followed carly into the bathroom, eager to find out what was going on.

" Are you going to eat all night , Sam? You haven't even danced with Freddie "

" I'll dance with Freddie later ," Sam plopped down on the fancy bench ," what's going on with you, Carls ?"

Carly ran a brush through her hair and pulled out her new lip gloss .

" Nothing is with me , Sam ," insisted Carly with a laugh," I'm having fun with our new friends . Isn't that what we're supposed to be doing ?"

" Sure but your hitting on Robbie like he's the last ham sandwich in Seattle "

" Robbie's a cutie and he's very sweet ," stated Carly , matter of fact," believe it or not, Sam, there is an attraction between us . "

" The dude has a steady girlfriend , Carly "

" I don't know if steady is a word I would use to describe Cat ," continued Carly , having giving it a lot of thought ," besides I know that Robbie feels something for me , Sam! I felt it when he held me in his arms and I know what I felt ! "

" You don't make moves on dudes who have girlfriends already . This isn't you ! "

" Maybe but you know what, Sam, maybe I'm tired of being the good girl all of the time ! Maybe I'm tired of being alone , maybe I want to experience real love and excitement for once in my life and if I have to come between Robbie and Cat to find that then …then, well, then , that is what I'm going to do ! "

" I get that, Carls, I do but Robbie isn't even into you " Her tone was softer than usual.

" You don't see what I do, Sam, but you will, " declared a determined Carly ," and so will Robbie . I want that boy and for once , I am going to get what I want "

Before Sam could respond to that, Carly stomped out of the restroom, the door slamming loudly behind her as she let out a serious sigh.

She wasn't sure what had gotten into her best friend all of the sudden but she knew this had disaster written all over it and damned if she was going to let Carly cause a huge freaking mess then self destruct .

" Chizz just got really bad and real "


	11. Chapter 11

Carly had either bumped her head on something hard, was having issues she was hiding , or she was having a teenage mid-life crisis -Sam wasn't sure which one was the most likely but after her best friends little dance with Shapiro last night , she was determined to get down to finding out what was really going on with her .

" Hey Carly "

Carly was puttering around in the kitchen , looked up from where she was fixing a bagel , and smiled at her friend." Morning Sam "

Sam helped herself to a bagel piling it high with ham, took a bite, chewed thoughtfully then fixed her with a look.

" Where is everyone ?"

" Tori and Cat took off with the boys this morning ," explained Carly, taking a sip of her juice," Spencer muttered something about meeting Trina for breakfast so its just us "

Sam leaned against the fridge ." What's the matter , kid ? I let it go last night but come on, you were practically glued to the nerd dancing last night and that isn't you .

What happened to breathing room ? "

Carly felt irritation bubble to the surface. " Why does anything have to be wrong with me , Sam ? I told you how I felt last night but what ..you didn't believe me ?"

" Come on, Carls, you cant be serious about wanting the Puppet Boy! Not to mention the fact the dude isn't into you and he has a girlfriend"

" Robbie is cute and he's funny and there is something between us. I thought since you're my best friend that you would be supportive of me, Sam, but I guess I was wrong "

She struggled not to cry but her mind was set and she wasn't going to let this chance pass her by like everything else that happened to her ," I am so sick and tired of playing it safe . Being good ole Carly ..she's a good girl "

" Hey, that's my best friend you're talking about there , kid ," Sam tried to lighten the mood ," I happen to like that Carly "

" Well, I am sick of being her ! I want to take chances and be the bad girl for once ! I'm sick of being boyfriend less and lonely …..I'm entitled to have the darn fairytale and true love too, you know . So if I have to change a little bit and take what I want …well, I made up my mind , and nothing you can say is going to stop me from making Robbie Shapiro fall in love with me "

For once in her life , Sam found herself speechless ." Except he's in love with his girlfriend "

" Cat is an airhead ," decided Carly , rolling up her sleeves ," and there is no way that a smart guy like Robbie is going to be with that girl for long . He'll get bored and in the meanwhile , I will make him see that I am the girl he really wants "

" Are you sure this isn't because he saved you the other day ?"

" NO! I'm done talking about this , Sam, and go see where Freddie and Gibby are ," Carly turned on her heel, tossing her brown hair off of her shoulders ," we need to get to the theatre too "

Sam blew out a breath and weighed her options here and realized this just might be a new phase that Carly was going through. Instead of being depressed and watching chic flicks and eating ice cream, Her friend was deciding to be her own Hallmark movie .

She and Freddie would just have to keep an eye on her unless she got carried away and since tonight was her and Fredwardly's lame ole double date with Robbie and Cat , she would be able to get a sense if the attraction was double sided or if Carls was just wanting it to be so before she stepped in to stop the chizz .

Meanwhile onstage , Jade and Andre were doing a run through of a scene so Robbie could test out the sound and the lighting while Cat helped Tori backstage with changes in the costumes .

Beck hung back, assisting Robbie at the board ." Sounds good, guys "

Jade removed the hood of her cape and turned to face Andre , a half smile on her red lips .

" Roland , old friend , it has been awhile ," Jade lifted a white flower from the basket ," picking moonflowers tonight to give to your lady love ?"

" I have no lady to love , Morgana , though I have seen that Samuel is quite enchanted with you . Have you cast a spell or have you given in to the love you taunt me about yourself ?"

Jade's laugh was dry ." I had not planned love nor Samuel to come to me but we weren't discussing me . You are not the only one who has seen things …..you deny strolling in the moonlight, dear friend, with the mayors daughter on your arm "

A tender expression crossed his face as he took the flower from her ." My heart wants what it cannot have …..yet Ana feels the same as I . Our love is as forbidden as that of any Moor or a witch….Ana knows but doesn't care "

" You are both fools "

" Perhaps but I would rather love than be empty and soulless without my dear Ana "

" Are you sure your Ana isn't a witch as well ? I fear that you have been enchanted under a love spell for you to spout such drivel ….."

He caught her wrist, carefully ." Such harsh words from one I have always called my friend, Morgana . I fear you are fighting your longing and love for Samuel as well …love is the most wondrous , powerful spell of all "

" You have become addled in the head, Roland "

" If Ana is indeed my weakness then Samuel is surely yours indeed "

Cat and Tori peered out to the stage, impressed by their friends acting .

" Is it just me or is Andre really , really hot in this scene ?" whispered Tori, taking the script from Cat and fanning herself with it ," its not even like its Andre and jade . I still cannot believe that Jade wrote something this wonderful and romantic …."

Cat giggled ." Andre's good but I don't think its appropriate for me to say he is hot "

" What are you talking about , Cat ?"

" Nothing , just that Beck and Andre are both really good looking guys but they are like brothers to me . It's not appropriate for me to say they look hot …..like you shouldn't say that my Robbie and Jade's Beck are hot "

" Sure thing," Tori patted her friends arm, " So, I couldn't ask last night but did you and Robbie have it out over him allowing Carly to dance super close to him ?"

Cat managed a tired sigh." Noooooooo," admitted a torn Cat ," I mean, I didn't like it and even though Carly asked me if she could dance with him, I didn't expect her to try to crawl in his skin or anything then I didn't want Robbie to think that I didn't take our talk serious . I mean, she could still just be really friendly ….right ?"

" Totally ," agreed Tori, helpfully ," she doesn't seem like the desperate type of girl ..you know like Trina , and she would have to be really desperate to go after Robbie "

" What ? Tori ! I trust Robbie and I promised I would try not to be so jealous after I got mad about you but still…..do you think I should say something about it ? God, I don't like this ! I mean, Robbie has friends who are girls and I'm totally fine with him tutoring girls in North Ridge so I shouldn't make a big deal over one little dance "

" I think you need to trust your boyfriend ," reassured Tori, feeling for her friend ," and forget about the whole thing . Carly wasn't acting like some gank….or even a boyfriend stealer and I think it's really good that you didn't go crazy over it last night "

" I thought about borrowing Jade's scissors to you know , do mean things to her ," admitted Cat in a small voice ," to Carly , not Jade , I mean , but I thought that Robbie wouldn't like that or that Jade would actually loan me her scissors "

" Good call "

Onstage , jade had stopped the scene, abruptly and grabbed a clipboard ." Take ten, Andre , I think I want to refine this scene a little ..might be cool if I make Roland a healer "

" So like a male witch or a Merlin ? Can't I just keep being the freed king or whatever cause I can totally rock ruling this phony village out of those sappy historical chic things you girls watch , Jade ?" pleaded Andre as Tori walked onstage, handing him bottle water .

" I only watch for the witches," Jade aimed her pen at him," Cat and Vega watch for all the mushy crap ….and you are not some ancient Merlin in my play, dude "

Andre held up his palms in defeat ." Sorry I even said anything …. A healer is the chizz "

Tori gave him a squeeze ." You were really awesome, Dre "

He was tempted to steal a kiss but satisfied himself with a hug ." You ready for our big scene ? Beck said that Jade was up half the night rewriting some scenes ….think she cut out most of the steamy stuff …figured one of the love scenes would have stayed since Sikowitz told her she shouldn't keep them "

" No, I think she is taking this really serious this time , Andre "

" Babe ," Beck took the clipboard from her hands and guided her to a seat ," chill and take ten . Drink some water "

Her brows furrowed ," Beck, I'm fixing a scene and I don't want any water ! Where is my coffee….you know , I need my coffee ? Why haven't you got me more coffee ?"

Beck put his arms around her and ran a hand gently through her inky dark hair .

" Everything is going good ," informed Beck, knowing she needed to wind down and breathe before she made everyone stressed and miserable ," running smoothly and you don't need any coffee . You had four cups and its barely ten , Jade , so please just drink this water and sit here with me for a few minutes "

She pursed her lips together ." We need someone else to do lighting ….I cant have Cat running back and forth helping with costumes and make up and fixing the lights . I need Robbie on the damn soundboard…I never thought I would actually say this but is it too late to bring Sinjin in to help ?"

" You want me to text Sinjin and see if maybe he and Burf would be up for making the trip here to help ?"

God, Jade hated to ask those morons to help but she couldn't expect Cat and Robbie to be running back and forth the entire time during the play or it would make her whole play look unprepared and unprofessional .

" No! I don't want those freaks thinking I owe them anything for helping me out ! " Robbie , are there any rules or anything that says that maybe extras from another play cant help ? Does Gibby or Freddie know anything about lighting ?"

" I don't think so ," Robbie consulted his pear pad ," it might be frowned upon if we advertise it but I don't see how it would hurt anything . Carly is doing a short skit and Loves Lament is an actual play . I'm sure that the guys would be happy to help "

Jade considered but she still hated Carly and didn't want to give her any sort of edge especially after that stunt she had pulled dancing with Robbie last night .

Damn .

" Fine ," growled Jade, making a snap decision and hoping she didn't regret it later ," Beck, text Sinjin and Burf and get them here . If they aren't in Seattle by tomorrow night I will rip off their earlobes and stuff them down their skinny throats "

" Babe, it takes two days to get here " reminded Beck, rubbing her back, soothingly ," leave the guys to me . Sinjin and Burf worship you so I'm sure it wont be a problem "

" Having them here is a problem but I'm not giving the competition a heads up either "

" Spoken like every amazing playwright in the business ," spoke up Ian Reardon, who had caught the last of their exchange ," I have summer theatre interns , , if you need the extra assistance , that would be more than happy to help you with the lighting "

" Mr. Reardon , hey ," Jade stood up, pasted a thin smile across her mouth ," thanks for the offer but I've got it taken care of . I have some ..idiots …I mean, friends , coming in from Hollywood to help with the lighting . I have everything covered ..it's cool "

" You seem very capable to me , Ms West "

" Thanks ," Jade glanced at her boyfriend , their eyes locked , held, and she regained her composure ," and really you can call me Jade . Can I help you with anything ? We were just taking a break so I can rework this scene so I've got a few minutes or I could introduce you to the rest of my team "

" Could I have a word with you, Jade ?"

" Sure " Jade let go of her notes and joined him , ignoring her friends curious eyes .

Beck tried to ignore the sudden jolt of jealousy that hit him along the edges as he sent off the text to Burf . The dude was old , he was blonde , and the guy wasn't even hitting on his girl so there was no reason for him to be feeling like this in the first place .

Except for the dude gave off a weird vibe .

Beck didn't like it .

" I know there are rules and things for this competition ," went on Jade ," I've read some of them . Robbie is reading the rest for me so I hope I'm not doing anything that will get me disqualified from this because I really want this shot ,Mr. Reardon "

Ian squeezed her wrist ." Relax, Jade , nothing is wrong with anything you are doing "

" Good because I just realized I couldn't expect Cat and Robbie to be doing three things at once during the play ," went on Jade , allowing a moment of weakness to slip out ," and I cant trust Tori to be left alone to costumes and be Ana . Beck is getting our tech guys right now so they are coming in from Hollywood to help "

" Sounds like you are a very capable director " Ian found himself even more impressed .

" So if I'm not doing anything wrong , what do you want ?" Old Jade was back, the moment of panic had passed and she was embarrassed now at her lapse .

" I intend to sit in on one of your run through ," he expressed , as Jade removed his hand from her arm ," I really want to get a good feel for this play . I do have some questions though, Jade , and I thought that we could discuss it tonight .

Maybe a late supper after your rehearsals ?"

" Beck and I are good with that ..we could meet you someplace ? " She caught herself ," Sorry , Mr. Reardon, I'm used to dealing with Sikowitz which you aren't "

" No offense to your boyfriend, Jade," informed Ian, straight forward ," but I wanted to talk with just you . This is your play, your future , and I thought it would be more comfortable if we discussed it over a meal and you could tell me more about the mind of Jade West "

" So your going to give me the big spiel to make me want to go to college here ?"

" That is part of it, yes , so what do you say ? It is your future we are talking about here "

Jade hesitated for a split second but it was about her play and college .

" Okay, I'm in " agreed Jade , " when and where ? "

" How about we say eight oh clock at The Bistro ?" Ian tried to gauge the young woman's reaction but her emotions flickered before he caught the slight apprehension .

" I'll find it " Dismissing him, Jade went back to work, dropped a kiss on her boyfriends mouth and turned to her friends ," Shows over so stop gawking . It was all business and Tori , stop hanging all over Andre unless you wanted me to turn Ana into a grunchy slut "

" Welllllll…." huffed Tori , crossing her arms over her chest, pretending insult .

Beck stared into Jade's eyes , a question in his own ." Did he ask you out on a date?"

Jade scoffed ," You're delusional, Beck. It's not a date ..he wants to meet with me tonight so he can smooze me and try to convince me that I need to go to college here "

" So I can go and hang out until your done "

" You want to spy on me ? God, this is about my play , Beck, and I here that they do stuff like this to recruit people , it isn't all seedy garbage "

Beck groaned and pushed his hair back off of his head, cursing himself for voicing his thoughts out loud . He didn't know what had gotten into him all of the sudden and maybe he and Jade really need to talk about their future together especially since college was on her mind apparently .

" Andre , Tori, get your butts onstage ! I want to run through the barn scene "

Andre grabbed Tori's hand , catching her before they went onstage . " Tori, I was thinking that we start those dates tonight . What do you say ? "

Grinning teasingly , Tori moved in closer to him and hugged him ." A real date ? Where are you taking me ?"

" Freddie was telling me about this little restaurant downtown that has some good fine food and some smooth jazz . What do you say , baby ?"

" I can't wait ! "

" Don't make me come back and get you two idiots ! I don't want to be here all freaking night and I'm already wazzed off that I had to call in Sinjin and Burf to help ! "

" We're here ….we're ready to act "

Tori and Andre let go of each other and took their places on stage as Jade called scene .

It was time for Roland and Ana's love story , not Andre and Tori's .

After filming a segment of iCarly, the ever perky brunette declared that she had research to do and took off down stairs , leaving her friends puzzled at her odd behavior .

Sam sidled over to her boyfriend and plopped down beside him while he did his thing on the computer , deciding on how to broach Carly's newest phase , for lack of a better word

" What's with Carly's attitude ? "asked Freddie , concentrating on his work but sliding a special smile behind him to the woman that he loved .

Sam weighed how much of this she should actually tell Freddie as Carly's phases tended to burn out just as quick. " Oh, I don't know , Carly is in a rut or something ," Sam tried to make it light ,' she thinks she wants to be a bad girl "

Freddie turned around ," Carly ? " He chuckled , teasing her ," Knew you were a bad influence on her "

Sam elbowed him," Shut up, Dorkwad "

" Is that why she was batting her eyes at Robbie last night ? Made him a bit nervous , I think "

" Oh you know Carly , she likes nerds who are easy to flirt with ," retorted Sam, " like she did with you …."

" That was only that one time , Sam ! Carly is my friend ! You know , I love you "

Sam dove in for a deep kiss to shut him up ." I know , look , Freddie , I don't know if she's serious or if this is one of those phases that last for like a week but she has it into her brain that she is into Robbie "

" Robbie is in love with Cat " Freddie could only state the obvious .

" I know but I'm just giving you the heads up cause I know the geek is your friend "

" It's not like her to hit on a guy who is in a relationship , Sam ," expressed a concerned Freddie ," that isn't Carly . Bad girl . What exactly does that mean ? "

" I hope it means she's going to do nothing more than buy a push up bra and wear a skintight dress and try to get Robbie's attention ," joked Sam, only half serious ," because I can talk her down from that but I don't know …"

" Is this maybe because Robbie saved her life that one time ? Her whole hero love ?"

" That's my theory but Carls denies it "

Freddie was thoughtful ." We'll keep an eye on her and see if we need to do anything ," Freddie led her over to sit down together , holding her ," look I wanted to talk to you about tonight . I know you don't like Cat but I don't think you're really trying either …and I'm looking forward to this double date with our friends "

" Your friends '

" I'm hoping they can be our friends, Sam ," replied an earnest Freddie ," look I consider Robbie a good friend . We don't get to hang out together that often as it is and Cat is very sweet so it would mean a lot if you could actually make an effort to be nice and try to get to know them . Or at least not insult Cat every time you see her ….for me "

" You're asking a lot of me, Freddie ,and I don't know what Crazy Cat and I are supposed to talk about ? We have zero in common and the girl giggles ! "

" Ask her about Robbie or school or anything , Sam . Humor me , please "

Heaving a pained sigh, Sam relented ," Fine , nub, but you owe me for this one "

" Thanks " Freddie covered her lips with his in a heated kiss and all was forgotten .

A few hours later Cat and Tori had made it back to the Bushwell and the Shay apartment to find a note from Carly explaining that she had gone out shopping so the girls had her room to themselves allowing them privacy to chat as they prepared for their dates .

Freddie and Sam had decided that Pini's sounded good for supper and since it was a bit fancy , Cat found herself deliberating on which dress she should wear tonight when Tori came back upstairs towel drying her hair .

" You know I don't see how Spencer taking Trina sightseeing is helping him paint her "

" I think Spencer likes her " noted Cat ," he watches Trina a lot I've noticed "

" Spencer is a nice guy but come on, Cat, he is seriously way too old for her to date "

Cat shrugged ," I don't know , Tori, but if they care for each other I think its great "

Tori sat down at the fancy vanity , awed by all the awesome gadgets like the automatic hair dryer . She really needed one of these at home !

" I think you're too much a romantic, Cat ," commented Tori, " how is it you are still deciding on what to wear ? I thought you were wearing the flowery pink sundress tonight "

" I'm not feeling it ," Cat bit her bottom lip ," Are you sure that you and Andre don't want to come with us tonight ? A triple date would be really, really fun ….and Sam doesn't seem to hate you so that's good "

" Sorry, Cat, but Andre and I have other plans tonight ," Tori brushed her long hair till it shone ," and I think you should just treat Sam like you do if she were Jade "

" That's because I'm pretty sure Jade really wouldn't hurt me ," answered Cat, honestly ," I'm not so sure about Sam. She's pretty hostile "

" Hostile ,Cat ? That's new from you "

" I'm not stupid, Tori ," defended Cat , tired of having to defend herself within their group ," If I were I would have gotten kicked out of school my freshman year "

" I'm sorry " apologized Tori ," I was just surprised is all. I think you should just be honest with Sam about how you feel ….she doesn't really know you so I don't understand why she could possibly hate you, Cat "

" I've tried that before but I don't think she pays any attention to me "

" Make her listen so she doesn't ruin your night with Robbie " declared Tori, pulling clothes out of her suitcase and deliberating on shiny jeans and a hot top or a sexy dress for tonight .

" Robbie enjoys being able to talk nerd talk with Freddie since Beck and Andre only like to tease him about his computer stuff and Galaxy Wars "

She decided on heels to wear with her dress and made up her mind not to let Sam walk all over her tonight . She wasn't a doormat .

" Are your plans with Andre a date ,Tori ?"

" Cat , what makes you say that ? "

" You pulled out your new dress to wear ," explained an observant Cat ," you hardly ever wear dresses so its got to be a date . Does Andre know it's a date ?"

Tori dropped the dress on the weird ,cool table as if it was on fire ." Cat !" Exasperation filled her voice ," Stop it ! Yes, Andre knows it's a date but don't go telling everyone or sending out mass texts already ! It's one date , that's all"

Cat winked knowingly at her ." Right …I got you . You and Andre on a date "

" Stop it and don't text me during the date either " reminded Tori, who found herself excited and nervous all rolled into one .

" Oh, I wont ," Cat sank down on the bed ," will you text me instead ?"

" Oh, nooo, I'm not going through that again ," informed Tori ," we need to set like a no texting rule during dates so that we don't get mad at each other "

" Not even if its an emergency ?"

" You really are dreading this double date . Aren't you? Was it that bad when you guys took them to supper when they were in L.A.? "

" It was awful "

" You should tell Robbie …."

" Robbie has been looking forward to this so I cant say anything to him ," sighed Cat, twisting a strand of hair around her finger ," I wish Freddie had a nice girlfriend . "

" I think you can handle this , Cat " encouraged Tori ," stop bugging over it "

Cat sighed again," I hope you're right "

An hour later , Cat wondered downstairs while Tori was finishing up and fixed herself a glass of lemonade when Robbie poked his head inside , glanced around the apartment , and smiled when his eyes fell upon his girlfriend .

" There's my girl "

Robbie closed the door behind him and pulled her into his arms " You look like sunshine "

A soft smile spread across her pink lips ." Robbie "

He always made her feel beautiful , even if she didn't feel it . She had decided on a pale yellow eyelet dress that was both simple and dainty , needed a shot of confidence Cat had added a pair of white high heels , and left her red hair loose except for pulling the sides back with little flowered clips .

" Are we alone ?"

Cat slid her arms around his neck and moved closer ." Tori's upstairs and no one else is here yet so we are actually alone "

" Good " Robbie lowered his mouth to hers , taking his time kissing her and savoring the taste of strawberries on her lips , then rested his forehead against hers ," I missed you. How is it that we spent all day working on Jade's play and I feel like we didn't spend any time with each other ?"

" Because Jade has us working like crazy people to make her play perfect " Cat entwined their fingers and led him over to the couch to sit down ," I missed you too , Robbie "

She leaned her head against his shoulder ." How is it over at Freddie's ?"

" It's fine when Mrs. Benson isn't there ," explained Robbie ," she's a nice lady but she's a little nuts . I had to sneak over here before she started interrogating me about the nature of our relationship and that was all because I accidentally let it slip you are my girlfriend . I didn't know I was not supposed to say anything ! "

" I don't understand " puzzled Cat , " is she overprotective ?"

" Freddie says that's putting it mildly " explained Robbie ," he was handling it when I came over here . Andre says he's used to his Grandma's crazy so he isn't going to get worked up over Mrs. Benson not minding her own business "

Cat nodded ." Maybe we , um, should have thought about getting our own room..at a hotel "

She blushed furiously in embarrassment but they were alone and it was something she felt they should at least talk about together .

Robbie kissed her palm and met her eyes, so many emotions showed in those expressive brown eyes, and he didn't even know how to start with this subject .

Sure he thought about sex and making love to Cat but they were still new in their relationship , it was such a huge , important event , and he didn't want to put any pressure on her or them . He wanted it to be special for the both of them .

" Cat , I…I know Jade likes to tease us about that but I don't want you to think I expect you to sleep with me ," stumbled Robbie ," I mean, I love you more than anything but oh boy, this is much easier on those teenage drama shows where it just happens "

" You haven't pressured me at all, Robbie , but I love you so much ," admitted Cat, lowering her lashes ," I just want us to be closer . We ….always get interrupted when we try to talk about it ….I don't want us to rush into it either "

Robbie lifted her chin and kissed her ever so tenderly ." Noted "

" You guys ready to go eat or what ?" announced Sam as she and Freddie burst in on the couple ," oh chizz, can't you two keep your hands off of each other for five seconds ?"

Robbie took Cat's hand into his ." Hello Sam. You look lovely "

" Thanks " acknowledged Sam, who had taken the extra time with all the girly stuff knowing how important this was to Freddie ," you clean up nice yourself , Robbie "

Robbie and Freddie had actually both dressed similar in nice dress slacks, button down shirts, ties ,and jacket while Sam had worn a sleek blue halter dress that was simple , made her look extremely hot and matched the blue in her eyes which her boyfriend had noted upon seeing her .

" We should probably go ," Freddie placed his hand on the small of Sam's back," we have eight oh clock reservations at Pini's "

" Robbie and I love Italian food "

" Fredwardly and I do too ," admitted Sam, biting the bullet and trying ," Pini's is one of our favorite places to eat at and they have the best lasagna anywhere "

" We like spaghetti and meatballs "

" It's sort of our thing " Robbie kissed her hair ," pretty cool we all like Italian food "

" You guys will love Pini's then " replied Freddie as they headed downstairs ," I am sure of it "

Meanwhile at the hotel, Jade came out of the shower, wrapped in a towel and dropping onto Beck's lap , dropping a smoldering kiss on his lips .

" What's the matter with you ? You've been sulking like a big baby since we got back from the theater today, Beck . What's the problem ?"

Beck slid his hands around her waist , holding her there ." I don't trust that Reardon dude , babe . If its just college recruitment stuff it shouldn't be a big deal that your boyfriend is coming too. I mean, I'm an actor and I might be considering his department too "

Her dark brows furrowed." You're considering Seattle ?"

He ran a hand tiredly through his long hair and fixed her with a pensive look ." I don't know what I want to do..maybe …I could be "

Jade rose from his lap and began pulling out her clothes from the wardrobe , tossing them on the bed .

" You think I cant get into college on my own ? Is that it , Beck ?"

" I never said that, Jade ," remarked Beck, frustrated ," but the guy has been checking you out like you're a piece of meat or something since day one "

" OOOOOOH so what you're saying is the only way for me to get into college is if some old dude wants to look at my boobs ! That it, Beck ? Why don't you just go ahead and say what you're really thinking ?"

" God, Jade , I never said that ! Stop ! All I said was that I don't trust the guy and as your boyfriend , I want to go with you tonight "

" What about you trusting me , Beck ? I love you, I don't sleep around , and I wouldn't sleep with some ancient old dude in the first place but this is a good opportunity for me and I want to see what the blonde creep has to say to me "

" You're the one with trust issues ! " It was out and said in anger before Beck could retract it . He watched in horror as the callousness of his words hit her like a slap in the fact and hurt flashed in her blue eyes," babe, I'm sorry , I didn't mean that . I shouldn't have said that ! "

Jade picked up his duffel bag and threw it at him ." Maybe you should trust me "

He softened his tone and advanced towards her but he felt her carefully guarded wall go up and knew he'd made a mess of things . Damn.

" Please, Jade, I'm sorry " apologized a sincere Beck," I didn't mean it . I just don't like the sleaze ball and I know you can take care of yourself but please , don't be mad at me "

" I don't want to have this conversation with you right now ," Jade tried to fight the prickling of tears behind her eyes and refusing to give in to her hurt her feelings ," I have to get ready for a meeting tonight . Why don't you go sleep in the Rv tonight ….I don't want to talk to you "

" Jade …..I love you . Come on, I was an ass ! Can we talk about it when you get back ?"

" I don't know " Jade picked up her black dress ," just leave , Beck "

Sighing at his own stupidity , Beck did as she asked and left their hotel room , as she sank woodenly on the bed and bit her lip hard .

Guess all of their problems weren't completely solved .

Pini's was downtown and was an upscale Italian restaurant with cozy booths that catered to couples as well as families and business people out with clients . The ambiance was warm with bright colors , potted plants , and piped in music to make it seemed less stuffy yet comfortable .

Robbie and Cat liked it instantly as they slid into a booth across from Sam and Freddie .

" This is so nice " mused Cat, opening a menu ," we don't have one this fancy at home . Robbie likes Olive Bargain because we get a lot of extra breadsticks there or I just make him spaghetti and meatballs "

Robbie smiled lovingly at her ." or I make them for you "

" That's cool ," replied Freddie ," I try to make sure I have all of Sam's favorites around too "

" He makes me bacon " Sam held his hand ," I love my bacon "

After placing their orders and before someone could get a conversation off of the ground , Freddie and Robbie 's phones went off at the same time , notifying them that the Galaxy War auction had bid wars going on popular Galaxy Con memorabilia , and both were torn with wanting to check and being attentive to their girlfriends.

" Just go bid on your lame toys and hurry back , Freddie ," Sam could tell by his puppy dog expression he was dying to bid on something from his show ," Cat and I will be fine while you boys try to outbid the rest of the dorks "

" Are you sure ? " Freddie searched her face ," I don't really need to check …..we are in the middle of a date here , Sam "

Sam rolled her eyes and kissed him." Don't take forever or I'm eating your lasagna too "

" Thanks , Sam "

Robbie implored his own girlfriend with a sad face ." Another Con exclusive taser is up for bid, sweetie "

" I still don't understand why you want that silly thing , Robbie , but go ahead "

" You are the best , Cat " Robbie kissed her swiftly and followed Freddie out to the hallway where they could get in on the bid wars without embarrassing the girls .

Sam took a drink and stared at the redhead ." Guess its just you and me until the nubs finish beating out the other geeks for those space toys "

Cat lifted her gaze, brown eyes meeting blue ." Why don't you like me ? All I am trying to do is be your friend, Sam, and I don't understand why you hate me so "

Crap .

" We're nothing alike " spoke up Sam, honestly ," guess we didn't exactly hit it off "

" Robbie doesn't have a lot of friends ," Cat wasn't finished yet ," mainly just us and Freddie . He thinks of Freddie as a good friend so its important to him that you and I get along but I cant make you like me if you hate me for reasons I don't understand . What did I ever do to you?"

" Wow , you don't just giggle and agree with your boyfriend "

Cat glowered at her ." I have my own opinions too, you know and just so you know , I don't like controversy .Neither does Robbie and you keep trying to start it "

Well if Sam was going to give it the old college try for Freddie then Cat was really giving her the chance to get all the cards on the table .

" Controversy makes things exciting with me and Freddie ," replied Sam," guess I don't know how to take you two lovebirds . Look Freddie said pretty much the same thing about Robbie so I'm going to do my best here to you know , not insult you ."

" I would appreciate that " Cat folded her hands primly across her lap .

" Why don't we try again ? I hear third times a charm . How did you and the nerd get together ? I know Freddie probably told me but I didn't actually care and frankly , he doesn't seem at all like the type of dude you would go for "

" It's complicated ," says Cat , a dreamy smile crossing her face ," Robbie and I got paired up to improv this romantic scene for our acting class . Robbie kissed me …gosh, I never felt the way that I did before when he kissed me "

" It wasn't a stage kiss but a real kiss "

" You guys got together after the kiss ?" inquired Sam, thinking of her own reunion with Freddie .

" Nooo, it was complicated because he was dating this North Ridge gank ," continued Cat ," but we had all these moments between us because we were falling in love . Robbie was afraid and so was I ….well , then it turned out that Roxanne was using Robbie so he dumped her and we've been together since then "

" You love him " Sam recognized the tone in Cat's voice as she talked about Robbie and she knew that it was how she sounded when she talked about Freddie .

Maybe they weren't so different , after all .

" So much ," admitted Cat , " Robbie loves me like no one ever has and for me "

How could she continue hating the redhead when Sam understood all too well what she meant ? It was the way that she felt about Freddie .

" Freddie and me , we're not all sappy like you guys but we love each other ," broached Sam, carefully," and I cant believe I'm saying this but I get what you mean, Cat . I feel that way about Freddie...He gets me like no one else does and still loves me "

Cat was hopeful ." So you don't hate me now ? "

Sam chuckled ," No, I think we're good , Cat , which should please the nubs "

" Robbie is obsessed with that silly taser ," muttered Cat , affectionately ," I think my boyfriend secretly wants to be a detective hero "

" Freddie is just a nub ' laughed Sam in agreement .

" Can I ask you a question, Sam ?"

" Shoot "

Cat twisted her napkin in her hands ." How do you do it ? How do you manage not to feel dumb when you're with ..someone so smart ?"

Sam blew out a breath and considered ." It was hard at first but I don't know, I know Freddie loves me and accepts me just like I am and it makes it easier to accept myself "

" It's just hard sometimes …and I know that Robbie loves me "

" Dang it all ! " Robbie slid in beside his girlfriend ," Freddie and I were so close ….we were within range of pooling our money together and getting the taser when some wazbag bid 600 dollars ! "

Cat kissed his cheek ," I'm sorry "

Freddie sat next to Sam." Before we could even decide what course to take all freaking hell broke loose and it went for one thousand dollars and fifty four cents "

" Aw losers," smiled Sam, love in her voice ," mama will find you a taser in my way "

Freddie looked at Cat then at his girlfriend ." How are you girls doing ?"

" It's cool , Freddie ," reassured Sam, meaning it ," Cat and I had a little talk "

" It's all good now " chirped in Cat, snuggling into Robbie's side ,"I think it was important that we had a little chat "

" I have your meals " the waitress approached them ," two lasagnas and two spaghetti and meatballs "

" I'm starving ," announced Sam," let's eat "

Meanwhile Jade had shook off her bad mood , choosing to ignore Beck's texts and the fact that he obviously didn't trust her , and made her way to the Bistro . It was a small restaurant tucked between a new age shop and a mom and pop bookstore , the cool sounds of saxophone playing Changes of the Heart as she spied the blonde haired teacher at a small table near the back, waving her over .

" Hi "

Ian nodded and took a drink of his scotch, indicating that she should sit ." Glad that you could make it tonight , Jade "

" Cool place even though the music blows," Jade sat across from him ," does this place have coffee? "

Ian chuckled, lightly ." Fan of the java , Jade ? I would suggest you have a drink but I wouldn't want you to think I'm a creep who's trying to get you to drink ….."

" Then why did you suggest it ?" Jade tried to ignore the niggling feeling that perhaps Beck hadn't been wrong but she refused to give into the thought .

She could handle men of any age ….even an old dude like Reardon .

She wasn't like Tori who panicked and went along with whatever was said to her .

" To take away the tension here ," admitted Ian , leaning back in his chair ," I'm not the bad guy here , Jade . I've done my research on you and frankly , I think you are a tremendous talent and I would love to have you as a theatre major at this school "

" Wait , what do you mean you researched me ? "

" Besides studying your transcripts that sent me which were fascinating , by the way ," explained Ian, matter of fact ," I went to the Slap and watched your videos . You are a sharp young woman and your ideas are creative , exciting, and new . I was intrigued by the disturbing images in Clowns don't bounce and makes me wonder how you can write vivid horror then something as beautiful as Loves lament "

" I'm complex," told Jade , dryly ," worse break up in the histories of break ups made me feel things . I don't generally buy into all the rom coms and the romance chizz, that's my friend Cat's thing , but Samuel and Morgana came to me just like that . Wasn't anything dramatic but I'm proud of it …."

" it's an amazing piece of work and I cannot wait to see it performed in the festival "

" You could have told me all of this at the theatre " brought up Jade ," and I'm just going to repeat it to my boyfriend . I'm not some naïve , little high school girl , Ian, so really , what do you want with me ?"

He smiled a self deprecating smile and covered her hand with his ." Touché , Jade . You are a very beautiful young woman and your play isn't the only thing that fascinates me "

Jade resisted the urge to twist his hand and simply removed it from her own but her expression stated hands off .

" I'm not going to sleep with you so you can stop with all the charm chizz ," stated Jade , leaning in so only he could hear her ," and if you try to sabotage me or my play I will have you kicked out on your douche bag ass so fast I will make your head spin before I cut it off with my new pair of scissors there , Ian "

Damn.

God , she hated when Beck was right !

" You cant blame a man for trying ," Ian heaved a sigh ," and I had to try but now that you've turned me down, I have no intention of ruining your chances , regardless of what you may or may not believe about me . The Seattle University of Arts and sciences would love to have you ..I would love to have you "

" I see huge opportunities in the future for you , Jade , and I really only want to help "

" There are other colleges , why the chizz would I want to stay in Seattle and consider school where the theatre head is a Lech who hits on possible students ?"

" Because a lot of this lechs former students have gone on to have plays in New York , off Broadway and on the very Broadway itself and I see that for you, Ms. West "

" Buy me food and keep talking , I'm listening " jade hoped she wasn't being foolish but for some reason, she actually believed what Reardon was saying was truth .

" Oh my God , this is the coolest place ," Tori allowed Andre to lead her to a booth as she studied the ambiance around her ," and the music is so romantic . "

Andre slid in beside her , placing a hand on the small of her back ." Freddie said it was pretty nice ," explained Andre ," not Sam's thing but I knew you would like it "

" Only because you know I have always wanted to sing in a smoky jazz club " Tori sighed and leaned into him," did you arrange to have me sing, Dre ?"

Andre laughed and kissed her , swiftly ." Afraid not, Tori , but I thought it'd be cool for us to get away from the gang for tonight "

Just then Tori's eyes stumbled upon the last person she expected to find ," Jade "

"Tor, we are not talking about Jade or Cat or any of our friends on this date tonight "

" No, look ," Tori motioned with her head," Jade is over there with that Reardon man "

Andre turned and sure enough, Jade was there and looking like she was having some serious conversation with the dude . His gut tightened and he deliberated on if he should just be a friend and let her know that he and Tori were here or text Beck .

Did Beck know that Jade was with the dude ?

" I cant believe it ! We have to do something ," insisted Tori ,tugging on his wrist ," she said ..I don't believe that Jade would do this to Beck ! "

" Jade wouldn't cheat on Beck ," rationalized Andre ," not the girls style so I gotta figure maybe Beck knows what this is all about so..we're going to pretend we didn't see them and enjoy our date "

An 'oh' formed on her mouth " You don't think we should text Beck about this ?"

" No and didn't you just tell me how you told Cat about making a no texting rule tonight ? I think that applies to Jade as well …" decided Andre, thinking he could keep one eye on Jade, just to be on the safe side ," now come on, can we just forget about it "

Tori tore her eyes away from Jade and focused on the handsome man in front of her ." You look awfully snazzy in that suit , Dre "

He straighten his tie " You look gorgeous "

Tori was dressed in a bright blue short minidress with black boots ." Thanks "

Andre slipped an arm across her shoulders , drinking in her nearness and basking in being alone together .

" How are you really feeling about everything , baby ? "

" I feel better actually now that I've made up my mind not to worry about what is happening at home with my parents ,"explained Tori , with a slight nod ," and you were right about a lot of things . I 'm not perfect, I make a lot of stupid mistakes , but I don't want us getting back together to be one of them "

" Do you want to know why it never worked out for me with all the other girls I dated ?"

Apprehension crossed her face and she took a sip of water ." I'm almost afraid to ask "

" Commitment is kind of a scary thing ," went on Andre , choosing his words carefully ," and I liked the girls but I never was in love with any of them . It has always been you "

" Awww Andre ," Tori pressed her lips to his ," you're sweet . "

" You got kind of cynical after the whole Ryder thing ," continued Andre ," cant blame you for that . He was a dog . You and I got through some rough stuff and we survived so I'm pretty secure in believing that we can be even better together this time around "

" Didn't Beck say that to Jade when they got back together ?"

" Maybe but it works for us too "

" Are you trying to reassure me ? Afraid I'm going to go crazy Tori on you ?"

" Not really and I don't think you need the hard sell on us but I want it out there ," explained Andre ," I don't want to have to rehash our problems every time an issue comes up with us . The Beck thing is over with and we're all cool . You're not your Mom ."

" You are really good " Tori leaned into him, taking a moment to fall into a slow kiss and relax against him ," and I just want to go back to being us again , Dre "

Andre held up his glass " Here's to us "

" No more crying on a first date " agreed Tori with a light-hearted laugh ," here's to us "

After a pleasant supper , Sam and Freddie decided to take the couple to the Galleria and the vintage movie memorabilia shop which catered a lot to the Galaxy war genre which Freddie led Robbie over to marvel over the collectibles .

Robbie picked up the graphic novel ,holding it gingerly so as not to bend it as he studied it .

" This is amazing " marveled Robbie ," how do you not go broke here ? Are those Galaxy Wars lithographs on the wall ?"

" Signed " commented Freddie ," tempting except for the price . The girls seem to be getting along for now " He glanced back to find Cat and Sam having a conversation ," I wonder what they really talked about back there .."

" Maybe Sam just realized that Cat is the sweetest girl " answered Robbie ," frankly , Freddie, I'm glad they aren't fighting . I have been worrying about Cat a lot and I had hoped this vacation would help take her mind off of everything that is going on with her family back home "

" I thought you said Cat's family was close "

" They are but her brother is ill ," allowed Robbie , mindful of his confidence to his girlfriend ," her parents had to put him in the hospital before we left . Cat has been really worried ..but she seems to be doing better now "

" Oh man, we didn't know , Rob, but I can talk to Sam "

" It's fine , Freddie ," answered Robbie , catching his girlfriends eye and sending her a loving smile ," she wont want to discuss it and she might not be to happy with me if she knew I mentioned it to you. The gang all know but Cat can be sensitive ….it's a hard thing for her "

" I understand "

Cat had discovered the romantic comedy section and was perusing the pink bathrobe that Meg Ryan supposedly wore in Sleepless in Seattle .

" Oh chizz , I hate that lame movie " grumbled Sam ," Carly has made me watch it with her so much it makes me want to puke when I even see a commercial "

" It's so romantic though, Sam ," confided Cat ," An Affair to remember that meg Ryan wants her life to be is one of my favorites. Robbie and I watched it together when things were changing between us ….I kept cuddling up to him hoping he would take the hint since he refused to talk about our kiss "

" You made a move on the puppet boy first ?" Sam was ruefully impressed .

" Yes but Robbie didn't get it ," recalled Cat in a small voice ," he's so silly sometimes . Of course , I love his silliness "

She turned to the blonde ." How did you get back together with Freddie ?"

" Or you don't have to tell me if its none of my business "

Sam glanced at Freddie , noticing he was in his element and showing Robbie their favorite horror section of the store and had to grin .

" It was a lot harder pretending to go back to just being friends than we both counted on," explained Sam, thinking that maybe she could trust this girl now ," Freddie came in one day after the show and just sort of laid it on the line for me . He still loved me and wanted me back if I wanted to give us another shot and I did "

" I think you two match " declared Cat ," like me and Robbie "

Just then Cat received a text , she opened it , and read the message from her mom, sighing and quickly sending one back.

She would not panic , she would not let her anxiety beat her down this time .

" Is everything alright ?" inquired Sam, noting how the redhead had gotten super quiet .

" Family stuff ," Cat pasted a thin smile on her face ," um, my brother has issues and that was my Mom letting me know what is going on "

" Issues ?"

" Lots of issues with my brother ," confided Cat , biting her lip ," he's a little unstable at the moment but mom said they got a new doctor this time for him . He'll be alright but I need to tell Robbie …do you mind , Sam ?"

" No, go on " Sam frowned briefly and watched as the redhead sprinted across the store to her boyfriend as Freddie approached her , taking her hand into his ," hey "

" Thought Rob and Cat needed some privacy ," told Freddie ," she seemed serious "

" Family chizz ," replied Sam , understanding a little better ," the girl isn't just the idiot that I thought she was and I kind of feel bad . She's just a nice kid who loves her geek "

" I'm proud of you for giving her a chance " Freddie kissed her quickly ," Rob was hoping this vacation would help relax Cat "

" She's not so different , after all "


	12. Chapter 12

The hotel room was comfortable , the lights dim , the radio playing softly in the background as Trina sat next to Spencer on the small couch, listening with rapt attention as he talked about his aspirations and dreams about his art and his sculptures and how Carly was nearly an adult now .

" I don't know when it hit me that soon she'll be heading off to college ," continued Spencer ," and I'll have to really focus on my career . I don't know whether it's this years festival but I would really love it if I could just have one successful showing at a gallery .Any gallery , really, and make her proud of me …."

Her smile was sincere ." Weell, I don't really know your sister all that well , Spencer , but I imagine she is already proud of you "

" I hope so but we've been talking about me all day ," Spencer turned to look at her , losing himself momentarily in those wide set eyes that sparked so much in him ," you must be bored to death listening to me. Is modeling what you want to do with your life ? "

She sighed and considered , carefully ." I don't really know," admitted an honest Trina ," don't get me wrong, I love so love modeling for you but I have so much talent that I just don't know yet . " She bit her lip," Feels like I've been living in the shadow of my baby sister for so long "

" People notice Tori "

" The cheekbones ," Trina let out a dry laugh to cover the hurt she sometimes felt ," and yes, Tori is an amazing singer but I've always been accused of being talent less compared to her . It hasn't always been easy …especially when we were at school "

" Everybody loves Tori Vega "

" You seem to get along with your sister , Trina ," replied Spencer ," I never would have guessed you had issues with her if you hadn't said anything "

" Tori and I are friends when we aren't fighting " chuckled Trina ," but back to what you asked me, I know that I don't want to sit on the sidelines and do nothing . Modeling is ..I feel its perfect for me and I'm hoping something wonderful can come from me posing for you "

Me .

The words were stuck on the roof of his mouth and the rational man within him was screaming to take control of this intimate situation and kiss her but she wasn't like any of the other women he had dated .

Trina made him feel real and strong and the thundering of his heart was new .

" I think that your beautiful and confident enough to be whatever you want to be , Trina "

Trina scooted closer to him. " I believe you"

The air wavered between them , she licked her lips and tried to tamp down the sudden bout of butterflies dancing in her stomach while he found himself suddenly picking her hand up and lacing their fingers together .

" I've got to be honest here , Trina , because whatever this is between us is scaring the chizz right out of me "

" You make me really nervous , Spencer , and I don't get nervous " murmured Trina, under her breath," and I have a pretty good idea what this is between us "

He waited in bated breath, knowing but letting her speak the words first and terrified that it was true .

The words of the song echoing in his brain as if setting the ambiance for romance and vocalizing what was in their hearts while their brains battled with that tricky organ .

You sit there in my shadows

And you call it your relief

Don't be the one with the bad eyes for the things that I could see

Don't give me that

" It's only been a week , Trina "

It had felt as if they had known each other a lifetime in such a short span of time though .

" I am falling in love with you, Spencer ,and I know you love me too "

" Or it could be a crush ," Spencer tried to make light but failed ," and there are hundreds of reasons why we shouldn't be even talking about this, Trina, and our ages are one , huge thing . Except I don't know if I should be taking dating advice off of Gibby …. "

She bit her lip and shook her hair off of her shoulders and was determined to prove to him what she had known almost instantly upon meeting him that they were meant for each other . Trina had meant what she had told her sister before they had left for Seattle, despite their parents issues in their marriage and their own romantic situations , she still wanted love in her life .

She just never imagined that she would hit the man of her dreams with her car .

" Age doesn't matter when we love each other , Spencer "

Spencer heaved a sigh , tried to focus on all the impossible reasons but he didn't want to listen to them. He dated a lot of women and some he even thought he had been in love with but none of them made him feel half of what he felt with the gorgeous brunette .

" Carly would not be happy if we were together and I can only imagine what your parents would do to me. Isn't your Dad a cop ?"

" I can handle my father ," Trina grasped the front of his shirt ," and I don't care about what people say about us . Only you, Spencer "

He pressed his forehead against hers ." it's like you're my very own angel, Trina, come down to save me from myself "

Trina melted at his words and into his arms ." I've never been called an angel before "

" I thought you were an angel the first time I saw you and you make me feel strong "

" You are strong , Spencer " Trina pressed her palms on either side of his face and crushed her lips to his in a soul numbing kiss that left them both wanting more .

" This is nuts " Spencer pulled her closer , caressing her back through the thin fabric of the clingy dress that she wore ," maybe we're both nuts but gah, I don't want to fight this anymore , Trina "

Trina pressed kisses against his neck " Good then don't ….."

Spencer walked her backwards towards the bed , taking his time kissing her , and stopped at the foot of the bed , their awareness heightened between them and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear .

" I am really in love with you, Trina "

Trina let out a delighted laugh ," I knew it ! Yeees ! I love you too !"

" We should probably talk more ….you know , about us " Spencer peppered kisses along her jaw ," relationship and …things "

Trina didn't care about the details but he loved her too !

" Right ," Trina kicked off her heels , gave him a shove onto the bed and clambered on top of him ," we can talk about all of that ..much later "

" Trina " questioned Spencer as they escaped into a world made for lovers .

Jade sighed with a heavy heart as she let herself back into her hotel room and tossed her black purse on the floor with a thud , her eyes falling to the table and chairs in the corner where Beck sat , reading a book .

" Your back "

" I don't want to sleep with you tonight or have sex so you ought to just go back to the Rv tonight , Beck "

Beck closed his book and moved , hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts, and approached her , cautiously ." Babe, I'm sorry for what I said …..you know I trust you but its older dudes like that creep and Sinjin that freak me out "

He paused ," You know that's not quite true because I know Sinjin is weird but he wouldn't do anything to you ."

" Now you think I can be taken advantage like some Ms Suzy Q goody girl or something ," Jade wasn't in the mood for a fight ," I can take care of myself , Beck . "

She crossed her arms over her chest, tired and not up for fighting with him.

" I know that you can take care of yourself , Jade ," Beck dragged a hand through his long hair , pulling it off of his forehead and then letting it fall again," I have always loved how independent and strong you are , Jade . Sometimes though and this is a dumb guy thing …ask Andre and Robbie and they will back me up here but sometimes it would be nice if you would let me protect you "

Jade's back with up instantly and right back to her own insecurities she had tried to put behind her but seemed to haunt her anyhow .

" I knew you ! You do want me to act like some simpering Tori and pull the damned damsel in distress act but that isn't who I am !"

" I don't want you to be Tori ! I love Jade West , not Tori Vega , and how many times are we going to have to fight over this before it sinks in your stubborn head ! "

Jade shook her head and sank down on the bed ." You push my buttons and I know Vega isn't into you like that ..I even believe it , most of the time , and I don't want to keep fighting about it either . "

She let her guard down and her blue eyes softened ," Beck, you haven't acted protective of me in so long that I ..I guess I'm just not used to it . "

Beck sat next to her on the bed and slipped an arm possessively around her waist and kissed her temple ." It doesn't make you weak, babe, if you let me be the overprotective boyfriend for a change . "

" I guess ," Jade closed her eyes and relaxed against him, her mind and heart warring over admitting to him what had happened tonight ," and ..God, I hate this but you …were …right "

She clenched her teeth together and felt his arm tighten around her . " Reardon hit on me tonight , like he thought his old man sleazy charm would make me want to have sex with him "

The whole thought made her sick in her stomach.

" I scared the crap out of him though . He wont try that again , ever , with me "

Beck felt this jaw tighten and his hand curled into a fist as rage and jealousy fought for control .

" He ..what ? That bastard ! Did he try to touch you ? " Beck let her go, pacing angrily in front of her , and plotting revenge in his brain ," I knew that sick son of a bitch wanted you ! I'm going to kick his ass ! "

Jade couldn't help but be thrilled and very turned on by this jealous side of her boyfriend . She loved how cool and calm he always was but it was really hot when he was jealous. Jealousy had always been her thing between them so it was cool to see him expressing some of the emotion over her for a change .

Her lips twitched," If he had tried that, I would have ripped his arms out of the sockets and stuffed them down his throat . "

" I'm getting Andre ," muttered Beck, idly ," maybe Robbie and we'll take care of this "

" That's sweet and sappy ," Jade pulled him back down to her ," but I don't want to have to bail you three idiots out of jail for assault "

Beck met her gaze , his own eyes full of concern and anger ." I want to do something"

Her red lips twitched in a semi-smile ." Admit your jealous ?"

" I don't know if jealous is the right word because that isn't it , Jade ," admitted Beck, " I'm pissed and I want to beat that bastard senseless with my bare hands "

" I love when you're violent " Jade kissed him passionately ," love you too "

Beck caressed her hair , softly ." Did you report him? Can't we nail him to the ground for hitting on a student ? Make sure he never works in this town or any other town ever again ?"

" No," Jade was firm," not until the festival is over and I've won . I'm not doing anything to jeopardize this for me ..not even some sleazy old man "

" You cant be serious ! We cant let him get away with this ,Jade ! " Beck noticed her thoughtful expression and shook his head in utter disbelief ," No . Tell me that even after what happened tonight , tell me that you still aren't considering this university "

" I can handle Reardon but after this whole thing is over with ! He doesn't scare me "

" Jade , this isn't like you ! "

" I've been researching the University of Seattle's Art and Theatre and I like what is has to offer," confessed Jade ," it's college but it kind of has the same thing that Hollywood Arts offers and it's a really good school too. "

His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach." What about New York ? "

When they had first gotten together , they had big plans on taking the Big Apple by storm .

" New York is still there . I haven't decided what I'm doing yet , but I'm just saying that as far as colleges go, this one has some pretty cool things that I like "

" What about you , Beck ? You haven't said much about what you want , what you're considering ….."

What if they wanted different things now ?

What if their old plans together had changed or worse -what if his had changed ?

" I don't know … I thought we were going to plan this together , Jade "

She had hoped , wished really that he would say something sappy and lame like 'We're in this together, babe ' but he wasn't saying that and she wouldn't ask him to come with her or even think about it .

Not if that wasn't what he wanted and she loved Beck too much to beg .

" I haven't said yes and I'm just thinking about it, Beck, " Jade stood, linked her arms around his neck ," the other theatre people haven't had their chance to suck up to me yet . Can we not talk about this anymore tonight ?"

" We can't keep avoiding the future, Jade …" His voice spoke volumes even though he was scared to even continue on this path of discussion for the night .

" I think we have talked about it enough for one night " declared Jade , pressing her body closer to him and diving in for a searing kiss ," no more talking "

" I thought you didn't want to have sex with me tonight ?" Beck couldn't resist teasing her .

" I forgive you ," Jade wrapped her leg around his waist ," and I changed my mind '

" That's my girl "

Meanwhile Sam and Freddie and Robbie and Cat had finished up their date and hesitated outside of the Benson front door as well as the Shay, both hesitating on how to approach the goodnight kiss with their respective others .

" This was really fun " Robbie spoke up first as he held tightly to Cat's hand .

" We should hang out together more often " agreed Freddie , eyeing the door and Sam.

" Thank you, Sam, for going to play baby golf with us ," Cat was sincere ," and for not beating up the rude attendant for overcharging Robbie "

" Sure and it was sort of okay ," admitted a reluctant Sam," really worked on my swing tonight "

" Jade likes to use the clubs as weapons when we all go too " offered Cat ,softly .

" So, it is late and I should probably walk Cat inside to say goodnight "

" I hope no one is waiting up or it might be awkward for us to say goodnight and all ," hesitated Cat ," I haven't heard from Tori so I think she and Andre still must be out "

" You guys are good ," told Freddie , as he unlocked the door to the apartment ," Spencer only really spies when its Carly so you ought to have the living room to yourselves "

" Yay "

" Fredwad, cut the chit chat ," Sam grabbed the lapels of his shirt ," they want to make out with each other and we're wasting time yapping in the hall . None of us want to have to deal with crazy Marissa tonight so come on ….."

Freddie waved at his friends and followed Sam into the apartment and his bedroom while Robbie and Cat crept quietly into the Shay home , and found it was quiet .

" Looks like it's all clear ….." remarked Robbie , causing her to giggle .

" That was a line from Beck's movie ," Cat led him over to the couch and settled on his lap ," and we are finally alone again, Robbie "

" How are you holding up really , sweetie ?" Robbie searched her face for answers but she seemed to be content and happy , toying with the buttons on his shirt .

" I'm fine ,' informed Cat, with a slight nod ," so I wish my parents could find the right doctor for my brother because this must be the 40th wrong doctor again but I can't do anything to help with that either "

" It upset you earlier " Robbie caught her hand and pressed a kiss against her knuckles .

" Well, yea, but only because I don't understand how my Mom decides to tell me these things ," admitted Cat ," sometimes they don't tell me what inappropriate things he does but they will tell me about his medicine or other bad things . "

" I am sure they worry about your anxiety , Cat ," replied Robbie ," they wouldn't want you to get upset and faint , neither would I "

" I haven't fainted in a while " murmured Cat , leaning closer and inhaling the unique, sexy scent that was only Robbie . It was a mixture of fresh linen and the old fashioned Brut cologne that his MawMaw had bought him when he turned seventeen .

" I'm very glad about that " Robbie caressed her silky red tresses and kissed her , deeply .

Cat wound her arms around his neck, holding tight and sinking into his kisses , getting lost in the love and passion and all the emotions that ran rampant between them .

Sometimes it scared her to death how much she loved Robbie with her whole heart and she couldn't even imagine how she was before loving him .

" Your curls are soo, soo sexy, Robbie ," whispered Cat, running her fingers through them and enjoying the low sound he made in his throat that told her he really liked it when she did this ," please don't ever straighten it again "

Robbie pressed her carefully against the couch cushions and settled as close to her as he could get, his touch gentle as they got lost in the sensations of each other .

" Promise "

Cat nibbled little kisses on the underside of his jaw ." Robbie , I was serious about us staying at a hotel together "

Robbie stopped and felt the air whoosh out of him and tried to think like the rational man he was but wanting to be with Cat more than anything in the world .

" Sweetie, we don't have to rush into an….intimacy in our relationship ," Robbie caught her hand in his ," that is ..our first time should be romantic and special . I wanted to plan it …not that I cant still do all that but I ..this isn't because you're still upset over your brother ?"

Cat frowned and shook her head , touching his cheek ." My brother doesn't have anything to do with us . I love you, Robbie , and I want to be close..closer to you "

She lowered her lashes , shy and uncertain ." Unless you don't want to be with me ..like that ? Or am I acting too much like Roxanne ?"

She covered her mouth with her hand ." I don't mean to act like a gank….I just love you so much and thought you wanted to be closer to me too "

Robbie kissed her tenderly to reassure her ." You aren't acting like a gank. You know that I love you soo much, Cat, and of course, I want to be with you too but you keep surprising me. Will you let me handle this ? Let me take charge …'

Her brown eyes beamed with love and trust at him." I love how hot you are when you take charge , Robbie "

" You give me the confidence to do nearly anything " admitted Robbie , holding her close .

" I bet Beck would let us borrow his Rv , " brightened Cat ," that's private "

" Uh, we are not going to be together for the first time in Beck's home ," Robbie was adamant ," who knows what kind of crazy things he and Jade have done together in there ! I have already seen too much from what was behind that couch …no. I want my girl to have the romance , Cat "

" I think Jade and Beck have a lot of adventurous sex " Cat traced hearts against his chest .

Robbie colored ," Cat ! "

She blushed but continued her train of thought ," What ? Jade is my best friend , besides you, Robbie . Jade tells me things even though I think sometimes it should be private between her and Beck but she doesn't share often or well so I listen when she is in the mood to talk about it "

" I think the details of our love life should be between us only "

" Mhmmm " Cat cuddled against him," I had fun tonight , Robbie . I don't think Sam hates me anymore ….not that we're going to become besties or anything cause that would be silly . She doesn't think I'm stupid anymore .."

" Caterina Valentine , you are not stupid ! You just don't feel the need to prove how smart and creative you are all of the time because you enjoy life " Robbie rested his chin against the top of her hair ," and I knew once Sam tried to get to know you that she would see that. Freddie's girlfriend may have anger issues like Jade but Freddie tells me there is more to her than people see as well …."

" She has a nice side too " says Cat ," like Jade does "

" Thank you for going tonight ," Robbie caught her gaze and held it ," I know you really didn't want to go "

" Dang it ! Did Tori tell you ? She wasn't supposed to tell you , Robbie "

" Tori didn't tell me anything , Cat ," smiled Robbie , knowingly ," but I know you . When you worry you ramble a lot or drag your foot and sometimes you even wear your heels to give you courage …."

" I love you " Cat cut him off with a long, melting kiss before the sudden flash of lights coming on startled them and they sprang apart, confused .

Robbie stood up, flanking Cat to protect her and tried to find the source of the light .

" I know martial arts ! "

" Robbie ," Cat tugged on his arm, " you don't know karate "

" No but Beck and Andre have been showing me how to fight ! " defended Robbie .

Tori chuckled and exchanged looks with an amused Andre ." Robbie , we're not robbers and we're not going to hurt you and Cat "

Cat turned red and held onto her boyfriends arm." We still would have more privacy if we shared a hotel room like Beck and Jade are doing, Robbie "

" Your parents would murder me , Cat " hissed Robbie ," and since your Dad collects old swords I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hesitate to use them on me "

" I wouldn't tell them about us, silly . That is private and Mom would ground me for life "

" So you guys saying goodnight and all that ?" asked Andre , interrupting the couple .

" Yes, Andre , we were before everyone keeps interrupting us ," groaned a frustrated Robbie ," heaven forbid that Cat and I spend more than ten minutes alone "

" Rob," Andre bit back a laugh ," your shirts undone "

Robbie groaned and noticed that Cat had undone about six of the buttons on his shirt .

" What are you guys doing back here so soon ?" Robbie tried to turn it on them instead .

" We were going to say our goodnights here , Rob ," picked up Andre , sending sidelong glance at Tori ," wasn't in the mood for Bensons crazy Mom and not comfortable giving the neighbors a show in the hallway "

" For kissing , he means " interjected Tori ," but looks like you had same idea "

Carly stepped into the living room and made her presence known with a little wave at them all.

" Hey ," spoke up Carly ," so your all back from the dates I see and making out in my living room . I don't really mind about all of that but if Spencer wakes up, well, he is the adult here and I don't know how he would feel about that "

" We get the picture " expressed Andre his arm going to find Tori's waist ," responsible adult and all that chizz . "

Cat caught the sly little look that Carly was giving her boyfriend and glowered at her .

Carly ignored the look and made a show of moving loudly into the kitchen for a drink .

" Goodnight , Cat ," Robbie kissed her firmly," Love you. See you in the morning '

" Love you more " Cat stood on her tiptoes and returned his kiss," remember about what we talked about , Robbie "

" I wont forget, I promise "

" Night " Cat waved and bounded upstairs while Robbie headed next door to the Bensons place .

Tori called over her shoulder ," Carly , a little privacy here would be appreciated "

" I have no interest in watching you and Andre kiss, Tori " stated Carly, honestly .

Tori groaned ," I see what Cat was saying about privacy "

" I think Rob was talking about it " countered Andre , trying to ignore the fact that Carly was making a sandwich or something at this late hour ," so, did you have a good time ?"

Tori grinned and circled her arms around his neck." Besides Jade being there with that creepy dude , it was an amazing first date, Dre "

" I thought so too so can we move onto the next one , Tori ? Me and you and some waffles for breakfast "

" Robbie will never let us live it down that we're doing a breakfast date like him and Cat ," remarked Tori ," but you know I love waffles "

' I thought you didn't want to tell anyone we're dating again ?' He raised a curious brow .

" Maybe it wouldn't be such a big deal ," replied tori, nonchalantly ," I mean, we're dating and it's not like we're going to repeat all the crazy chizz that went on before . We aren't and we wont …and the dating feels really good "

" Cool " Andre dove in for a kiss that stole her senses and her heart ," goodnight "

The sound of the door slamming startled them out of their goodnights and they both groaned in dismay as a ruffled Spencer Shay burst into the apartment , glancing from Andre to Tori then falling across the confusion plastered on his sisters face .

Crap .

" Andre , Tori," Spencer stretched and tried to give them his patented disapproving stare which he didn't think was believable at the moment ," good to see you but I think it's past time for the goodnight kissing at my living room "

" Goodnight " Pouting, Tori let go of Andre and trudged upstairs , leaving the room.

" Yea, goodnight ," muttered Andre , under his breath," the dang hall is looking better and better by the moment "

With that the musician left leaving the Shay siblings alone and feeling odd tonight .

Carly stepped out of the kitchen and took in her brothers appearance and the guilty expression he was trying to hide ,which was even stranger .

" It's almost one in the morning , Spencer! Where have you been and why is your shirt on backwards ?"

Spencer colored in embarrassment ." I was out ," informed Spencer , matter of fact ," and doing what..what I was doing is my business . I am over 21 and I do have a life which I was living ..why are you up ? "

" I'm waiting on Sam to get her butt over here " countered Carly , ignoring the niggling feeling in her chest and not wanting to know exactly what he meant by that .

" At one in the morning ? "

" It's important "

" Gotcha so I'm going to bed now " He yawned and ran into his bedroom before she thought to question him before he had time to really think about the nights events .

Sam and Freddie were involved in a very heated , most passionate make out session ad each other when her cell phone went off for the fourth time in the last five minutes.

" That better not be my mom ," grumbled Sam, clutching at Freddie's back and trying to get closer ," she's made it a whole freaking month without getting tossed in the slammer "

" Maybe we better see who it is ?" questioned Freddie , tracing the soft skin at her waist .

" So I can kill them " Sam tore herself away from his kisses, reluctantly , picked up her phone and felt the mood dampen instantly ," oh chizz, its Carly texting me and it had better been a really good reason why she wants to interrupt us to have a talk "

Freddie sat up." Is something the matter? Is it Spencer ?"

" I don't know ," Sam had a bad feeling about this in the pit of her gut ," but Carly wants me to come over ASAP so it's important according to this fifth message "

" Want me to go with you ?" Freddie was concerned .

" No, I'm figuring its girl talk or something or it'd better be " Kissing him quickly , Sam straightened her dress and headed across the hall, carrying her shoes in her hand, and letting herself in the apartment .

Carly was in her pajamas and she grabbed her friends hand , pulling her in and placing a oversized ham sandwich in her hand .

" Sorry for interrupting you and Freddie but this is much more important than that "

" Which ex-boyfriend is coming back to town ?" guessed Sam, taking a huge bite and chewing her food ," Brad ? Griffin ? What's with the one am panic ?"

" None of them ," Carly was determined and serious ," how was the double date from hell ? I need to know everything you found out about Cat so spill it , Sam "

Sam reached for the lemonade and took a drink then stared disbelieving at her best friend .

" Carly, you cant be serious " Sam tossed her shoes on the floor ," this could have waited "

" I have to strike while the iron is hot ," declared Carly ," you taught me that and that means I need to know all about Cat so what did you learn about the girl ?"

" The night wasn't as bad as I thought ," confessed a reluctant Sam, " Cat isn't dumb , just ditzy . She has a lot going on with her family right now and you know, I really don't think this plan of yours is a good thing . "

" I know it needs some work but you never gave up on Freddie ," went on Carly, eagerly ," and I know how I feel . You want me to be happy . Don't you ?"

Damn .

" Yeah , I do, " Sam took another bite and tried to focus on how she could help and not feel bad about it ," I just …look, Cat isn't as bad as we thought before . She's a nice girl "

" The girl giggles ! You hate that ! "

" That is annoying but she loves the nerd the same way that I love Freddie ," revealed Sam , slowly ," you doing ..this plan of yours might really mess them up. You would feel really bad about it and yourself ..if you went through with it and it went bad "

" It wont go bad ," assured Carly, patting her friends knee ," trust me, Sam, please . So , she isn't dumb but she isn't a rocket scientist either . What else is there ?"

Sam debated with herself , not wanting to be disloyal to her best friend but feeling a new, weird kinship with the redhead .

" Look , Cat loves the puppet boy but she's still kind of insecure a little "

Like I was with Freddie not so long ago ' thought Sam but she didn't vocalize it either .

" Insecure ? I can work with that," Carly pulled her into a hug ," you're the best, Sam. I knew once I made you understand that you would help me …I am going to go make you some bacon "

Sam winced ," Thanks, Carls, but could you maybe think about what I said before you do anything ..you know, drastic "

Carly smiled and touched her heart ." The heart wont lie "


	13. Chapter 13

Carly was awake and with a purpose , mainly one Robbie Shapiro, and not in the mood to listen to Cat and Tori's endless morning chatter when they finally woke , she dressed and headed downstairs to fix breakfast .

It still irked her that Sam had been hesitant to help her with a plan, after all of the times she had helped her out of jams and her plan wasn't even illegal !

Carly puttered around the kitchen , concentrating on pulling out al of the stops and combining all of the femme fatales she had ever read or watched before in order to make sure that Robbie understood what she was doing . She hung her head , blew out a breath, and sighed recalling how wonderful it had felt to be in his arms when they had danced at Luke's club the other night .

She wanted to feel that way again .

Lost in her thoughts, she barely heard the slight knock on the door .

" Come in "

Robbie poked his curly head in first , sent her a lopsided smile and ambled in.

" Good morning, Carly. I see that you are also an early riser …I am too "

" Something we have in common, Robbie "

Robbie nodded towards the upstairs ." Thought I would wake my girl this morning , if that's alright with you ?"

Carly let out a wistful sigh even as her plan came into mind , quickly ." Of course ! That is so very romantic " She managed a sad expression ," I sure hope that Cat appreciates what a kind and thoughtful boyfriend you are, Robbie "

Robbie frowned, noticed the strained tone in her voice ." She does ," Robbie searched her face ," Carly, I don't mean to pry , but are you alright this morning ? You seem sort of down in the dumps ….."

Carly knew what she had to do as she sat down on the couch beside him, called upon her acting skills from icarly , and hoped she pulled off what she was about to do. She managed a pained expression and touched his hand .

" I….I …my ex-boyfriend sent me a text before you came in…gosh, Robbie, I don't want to put all of my problems on you "

Robbie patted her hand, his expression earnest ."Go on, Carly. I'm a good listener "

Carly took from the truth and went from there .She lived for romantic comedies and knew what she needed to do to make her story real.

" This guy…my ex -boyfriend, …we broke up awhile ago because he moved away from Seattle . It was amiable the split but I ..I had thought we were at least going to try some sort of relationship ..after Steven, I never thought I would ever consider a long distance anything but it doesn't matter "

She allowed tears to glisten in her eyes and found herself leaning into Robbie .

" I ..I thought we both wanted to try but I got a text from him this morning. Clearly I was deluding myself, Robbie . He ..he doesn't even want to try …I feel such the fool "

Carly sniffled , hesitated a second then buried her face against Robbie's chest, crying .

" What is wrong with me, Robbie ? Why don't guys want to be with me ?"

Robbie always hated feeling helpless and he hated a girls cry as well , which was why his natural reaction was to try to make her feel better . He froze as Carly's sobs grew louder and she buried deeper into his chest , making him a little bit uncomfortable .

He hated seeing a friend in distress !

" Nothing is wrong with you , Carly ," Robbie patted her back, awkwardly ," you're kind and pretty and intelligent . Any guy would be as lucky as cheese to be with you …"

Smiling at the sound of her boyfriends voice, Cat froze as his favorite catch phrase met her ears as she walked into the living room to find Robbie with his arms wrapped around a girl who wasn't her , a fierce surge of hurt mingled with the jealousy she had pushed back resurfaced all at once .

" Robbie "

" Cat ! ' Robbie jumped at the sound of her voice, pushing Carly away from him, and shot up to face his girlfriend , a nervous expression on his face ," I was , um, just on my way upstairs to surprise my sleeping beauty with a morning kiss, my love "

" So, you got lost and decided to hold Carly instead ?"

Cat didn't even bother to hide her hurt this time and didn't care .

Carly swiped at her eyes, sent Robbie a grateful smile, and cut in on the couple .

" Totally my fault, Cat ," explained Carly , aiming for an embarrassed smile ," I had a disturbing text from my boyfriend this morning and got upset . Robbie was just being nice ..comforting me "

She moved to the kitchen so she would be within hearing distance of them .

Robbie approached Cat . " She was crying "

Cat bit her lip and crossed her arms over her chest ." You had your arms around her ! I heard what you told her , Robbie ! " Hurt and insecurity crept into her tone and though her voice was low, her emotions were anything but ," How could you tell another girl that ! You only use that with me …..lucky as cheese ! You tell me that you're as lucky as cheese to be with me and now you're telling another girl that ! "

" I never told her that exactly, Cat ! It's an expression ! Other guys will find Carly attractive …that is all I meant when I said that ! " defended Robbie , irritation creeping into his own voice ," I didn't mean me ! "

" That you told another girl who is interested in you, Robbie ! " Cat had to make him see it . She had tried not to be jealous when Carly dragged Robbie to dance and with all the flirting but this ..this was too much for her to pretend it didn't mean anything .

Robbie heaved a sigh . This wasn't the romantic morning he had envisioned earlier .

" Cat, you're being silly ," pointed out Robbie ,firmly ," nothing was going on. Carly isn't into me ….don't you trust me ?"

Cat lowered her lashes then lifted her eyes to meet his brown." I trust you , Robbie, but I don't understand why you don't see it ! Carly is so into you …I'm your girlfriend . I know when another girl wants my fella …"

Robbie grasped her shoulders , lightly ." You need to trust me more, Cat, " declared Robbie ,matter of fact ," trust us more . We have been over this jealousy thing of yours and frankly, its tiring . I love you . I would never betray you, Caterina "

" I'm so sorry you think how I feel is silly, Robbie ! I was being honest with you ! " Trembling with hurt and whipping her head around to glare menacingly at Carly, Cat stomped away from her boyfriend and ran back upstairs .

" Cat ! Cat, come back here ! Dang it , Cat, when did this become a fight ! "

Robbie considered following her upstairs but decided it might do to give her a few minutes to sort her feelings out before he tried to convince her otherwise .

" She's awfully sensitive ," brought up Carly, sympathy in her voice ," isn't she "

" Very sensitive ," Robbie made a disgruntled face," she is usually so understanding of others so I just don't get why she was so quick to assume something so untrue about this Carly . Maybe if you explained to Cat about that jerk of an ex-boyfriend of yours …she would see "

" Doesn't it get old, Robbie ? It must be so annoying that Cat doesn't trust you "

" Cat trusts me " said Robbie in low undertone," she's just …I guess possessive of me . Her best friend is Jade so maybe that has something to do with it…I don't know "

Carly squeezed his hand ." Doesn't seem like she trusts you that much if she doesn't even like you helping out a friend ? Didn't Tori say she freaked out over her and you on the way to Seattle ?"

Robbie nodded , tersely ." Cat is complicated but we're fine "

" If you say so, Robbie , but anyway, I thank you for letting me cry on your shoulder "

Carly kissed his cheek." You are very sweet "

Robbie colored and stepped back ." I need to go get my girl and fix this "

Before he could hit the stairs, he received a text message from Cat .

I don't want to talk to you right now .

I didn't do anything wrong but I love you. We'll talk later -R

Sighing , Robbie turned back around to head back next door, and let Cat cool off .

Carly took a drink of her juice and beamed ." Score 1 for Carly Shay "

" Why is Cat so wazzed off at you, Rob ? What in the name of gravy did you do ?" asked Andre as he and Robbie got coffee from the on campus coffee shop while the others were back preparing for a run through with Jade and Tori's characters scenes together .

" I did nothing ! Carly was crying this morning when I got there so I was just being a friend ," explained Robbie ,with exasperation ," Cat got mad at me because I told Carly that guys would be lucky as cheese to be with her ! "

" Isn't that what you say about being with Cat ?" Andre cocked at brow at his friend .

" Yes but its just an expression ! Cat swears Carly is into me Isn't that nuts ?"

" It's a weird expression, man , " replied Andre , helpfully ," and Robbie, you know , Cat takes all that romantic stuff you tell her as only for her so makes sense that you pissed her off using it on another girl .Isn't that why you aren't allowed to call her baby ?"

" You're supposed to be helping me out here, Andre ! " Robbie was frustrated ," and I mean all that stuff I tell, Cat, but she gets crazy jealous lately . This was nothing ."

" Well it is nuts to think Carly would be hitting on you at all but you need to be reassuring your girlfriend, Rob, not me . Not unless you're a little into Carly ..are you ?"

Robbie gaped at him, offended ." Cat is the keeper of my heart, the love of my life, the sweet to my sour …"

Andre put a hand on his shoulder ." Go make up with Cat "

" She's the one who is mad at me ! "

" You know , think I'd rather have a jealous Tori in my life than no Tori ," Andre considered the situation ," you ought to be grateful Cat loves you so much to be jealous and wazzed off over this chizz, man "

" I hate fighting " Robbie hung his head ," and I don't want to be the cause of her anxiety . She hasn't fainted in months ! "

" Now you're overreacting , Rob " pointed out Andre .

" Dude, where is Jade's coffee ? She and Tori are running through this whole Morgana and Ana scene for the fifth time because Tori doesn't want to speak the swear word that Jade added ," Beck ordered a large coffee , " she will need this coffee to calm her down and me to prevent her from killing Tori again "

" I'll take care of Tori …" stated Andre , simply .

" Cool," Beck paid for the coffee as the three strode back to the theatre ," you and Tori back together ?"

" You can tell ?"

" Pretty obvious that you are ," explained Beck, " and Tori seems pretty much back to her own self when she is with you , Andre "

" We've been dating since we got here . Tor wanted to keep it on the down low but I don't think she 's hung up on that idea as much lately ," admitted Andre ," Hey, we saw Jade last night at this ritzy jazz club I took Tori to last night , Beck "

Beck clenched his fist, unclenched it ." I know . She had a meeting with that ..bastard Reardon "

" Alone ?" chirped in Robbie .

" Alone ," confided Beck, getting angry all over again rehashing it for his friends ," Jade and I got into it over the whole thing . That asshole hit on Jade ! It was all I could do not to murder the sick son of a bitch last night and then to just cap the whole thing off, my girlfriend is still considering this stupid college ! "

" That doesn't sound like Jade " added Robbie, thoughtfully .

" It's the whole play, the future , it has her bugging ! " Beck dragged a hand through his long hair ," and has me messed up too. I had this idea of what my future with Jade would be….our future …both of us acting, Jade writing her screenplays, us sharing a apartment for a couple of years , then later more "

" Jade doesn't want that anymore ?" asked a curious Andre .

" I haven't asked her ….." Beck took a sip of his own coffee ," I hate Reardon and I cant believe she didn't hurt him last night after he hit on her . "

" Some serious chizz happening ," observed Andre ," I'm glad me and Tori are good "

" Jade and I are fine ," Beck was quick to add ," I'm just pissed off at the situation . "

They made their way back inside the theatre to find Tori running through her lines by herself and Cat calming Jade , who was rewriting another scene .

" You'd better appreciate this , Vega ," Jade threatened ," don't make me regret giving you a part in my play . I could have easily given the role to Cat instead of you …"

Tori glared at her ," Thank you, Jade, for not making my character a grunch "

Cat twisted a strand of hair nervously ." I really wish you two wouldn't fight "

Jade lifted her gaze from her work to notice the flicker of fear in her friends brown eyes .

"Cat, what's going on with you," asked Jade, concerned ," you haven't been whining about missing Robbie since ..wait, what is going on with you and Robbie ?"

Cat smoothed her lips together , thinly ." We're fighting "

Tori overheard and jumped off the stage to hear the rest since Cat hadn't been talking this morning .

" Is that why you weren't answering his texts this morning, Cat ?"

" Robbie was ..he had his arms around Carly this morning ," Cat's voice quivered ," he said she was upset about an old boyfriend and he was being nice but you should have seen how she was hanging onto my Robbie ! Jade , you were right ! She does want to take my Robbie from me and I tried to talk to him about how I felt but he thought I was being silly .."

" Cat , you sometimes overreact ," Tori was mindful of her words ," I think it must have been a misunderstanding . Robbie adores you and I cant see him being stupid enough to throw what you two have away over Carly , who I happen to think is a nice girl "

" Oh God , what if Robbie wants to break up with me ? " Cat sank down beside the girls," it just hurt my feelings when I saw him with Carly " she bit her lip ," I ..I don't think she is as nice as she pretends to be , Tori "

" Robbie was holding Carly ?" Jade was furious ," he was warned , I told that moron that if he so much as hurt you, Cat, that I would rip his toenails off one by one and make him swallow them . Looks like that time has come "

" Jadey, no," protested Cat, putting her hand on her arm to stop her ," don't touch Robbie . I need to talk to him…..I've been avoiding him all morning ….I have to talk to him "

Robbie made the first move and held out his hand ." Cat, want to go for a walk ?"

" Yes " Cat accepted his hand ," a walk would be good . I love walks "

" Make it a short walk ," yelled Jade," we have work to do "

Cat was quiet as Robbie led her out of the theatre and around the campus to find a private spot to have a conversation .She wasn't pulling away from him so that was positive .

" I'm sorry for not speaking to you, Robbie ," Cat found her voice first ," you hurt my feelings when you didn't believe me "

He entwined their fingers together ." I thought we trusted each other , Cat . "

" We do, Robbie , but Carly is smart ," sputtered Cat, trying to make him understand ," and you have stuff in common with her and she danced way to close to you the other night . She's been flirting with you …."

Robbie was doubtful but he didn't want to fight with her ." Maybe but even if that is the case, I haven't been flirting back. You are the only girl for me, Cat "

" Lucky as cheese ….." trailed off Cat , moving closer to rest her head on his shoulder ," I know its an expression, Robbie , but I just thought it was for me . You know how Tori likes to tease you about how its lame and you always tell her its not ….it bothered me to hear you say that to Carly . I thought it was mine "

Robbie lifted her chin and placed the softest of kisses against her mouth ." It is yours and I am yours .God, I hate us fighting and bickering , Cat ! "

" You believe me that Carly wants you, Robbie ?" asked Cat, quietly .

" I think that we shouldn't talk about Carly ," evaded Robbie ," she isn't a threat to you or to us . It was a horrible misunderstanding between us this morning is all "

Cat tensed ." You don't believe me "

" The important thing is that I would never betray you and we trust each other "

" Or that I've never lied to you, Robbie " sighed Cat , sliding her arms around his neck and trying another tact to get through his stubbornness ," like you wouldn't lie to me "

His hands went to her waist, pulling her closer ." Never "

Cat tangled her hands in his curls , massaging his scalp," Robbie , I can't stand at Carly's house anymore . I don't feel right about it . It makes me uncomfortable and you could get us that hotel room for the rest of our stay here "

She pressed tiny kisses along his jaw " We wouldn't have to worry about anything and it'd just be you and me . All alone , private , Cat and Robbie alone time "

Robbie groaned and slid her into a passionate kiss , grasping hold of her waist , pulling her closer to him and worshipping her lips. " Alone be good thing "

Cat giggled against his lips and nibbled at his lips," No one to interrupt us "

Robbie nuzzled her neck " Hate interruptions "

" Get a room ! " hollered Sam, spying the quirky couple as she dragged Freddie to the campus coffee shop for some breakfast .

Cat and Robbie colored in embarrassment and she relaxed against him, trying not to worry about the fact that he hadn't exactly answered all of her questions .

" You'll get us our own hotel room ," implored Cat , brown eyes wide ," Beck got a really fancy room for him and Jade at the hotel they are staying at , Robbie "

Robbie straightened his glasses and tried to focus ." I want to, sweetness , more than anything ," admitted Robbie ," but the thing is I know that I cant afford it . "

" It doesn't have to be a ritzy hotel , any old motel will work too "

" We are not staying at some cheap motel ,Cat ," Robbie was firm,' I don't know what I will do just yet but I will think of something for us "

" I knew that you would " Cat hugged his neck ," I love you, Robbie "

Robbie kissed her swiftly ." Love you too, dear heart "

Cat still didn't feel as if they had solved anything about Carly but Robbie finding them a hotel room together would help . She just knew that if they were away from Carly then she could make her boyfriend understand why it bothered her so much .

"Look there's Cat and Robbie ," Burf lifted his binoculars , spying the redhead and the curly haired geek hugging ," wonder what crazy mad drama those two have gotten in while we were back home cruising for dates at Nozu and working at your fathers rubber factory , Sinj"

Sinjin snatched the bino's from his friend, observed the couple heading back towards the theatre and put his eyes back down .

" It's hard to say, Burf ," replied a serious Sinjin ," but we will find out shortly . This is it , pal, we got called in to the frontlines of the gangs inner circle of the drama . For once , we will be a part of the summer excitement for a change "

Burf munched on his cucumber , idly ." We're on lighting, Sinjin. It's not like they invited us with them for their Rv adventures they surely had "

" Have a heart, Burf ," told his best friend ," I may just be a Sinjin to Jade but the fact is that they wanted us here . It's all good …."

They entered the theatre where Loves Lament was to be performed and found the Hollywood Arts gang running through some crazy paces between working on the actual play and playing around it would seem. How Cat and Robbie had beat the new arrivals was anyone's guess but Robbie was currently manning the soundboard and in between was kissing his pretty redheaded girlfriend, Andre and Tori were onstage running lines together , while Jade directed .Beck was at her side , watching her intently and glancing furtively around the theatre as if expecting someone he didn't like to appear .

Or that was what it appeared to the newcomers eyes .

" Vega ," cut in Jade ," your uptight morally prick of a father is gonna ship you off to the Americas or Canada if he finds out your sneaking out of the village to be with Roland . Can you at least help Andre out there or what ? Bring all that passion you have for him if it helps you ….this isn't Uptown Downtown . Bring the damned passion ! "

Tori clenched the script in her hand and glowered at Jade ." I am bringing the passion ,Jade ! I'm just a little worried you might decide to keep our love scene rather than Samuel and Morgana's and didn't Sikowitz mention something about not keeping the love scenes ? "

Andre reached out, taking Tori's hand and giving it a squeeze ." Baby, don't fight with Jade "

" I wasn't fighting ! Jade keeps changing the script ! I don't think our sex scene needs to be that sexy .Do you, Dre ? "

Andre scratched his head and tried not to smile ." Wait , did you say sex scene ,Tori ? When did we get a love scene ? "

He grabbed her script and read it, much to her gaping shock .

" ANDRE !" Tori fixed him with a peeved look but he was grinning at the scene .

" This is legit , Jade ," beamed a happy Andre ," how come my copy doesn't have this ? "

Tori smacked his arm." I am not taking my clothes off onstage ! I want the original scene between Ana and Roland back ! How can you even be excited about this, Andre ?"

Andre grabbed her waist and pulled her in for a heated kiss to settle her .

' Chill for a minute , Tori," told Andre ," the scene isn't that bad and besides you'll be wearing one of those little lacy cami things Cat made so you'll be covered '

" You guys are wasting time ! Cat, Cat ," hollered an annoyed Jade , spotting her friend helping Robbie ," Cat ! You can have make up cuddles or sex or whatever it is you two are into later but right now get backstage and show Vega her costume for the love scene "

Robbie colored as red as Cat's hair ." Cat and I were working "

" On making out , Rob " Beck tossed at his friend with a smooth grin .

" Kay, kay , I'm coming " , grumbled Cat ," you don't have to be so bossy "

" I'll show you bossy …." groused Jade , distracted by the sound of loud eating as she spun her head around to glare evilly at the duo of nerds hovering in the aisle," NOOOO ! "

" Sinjin and Burf reporting to Seattle "

" Hey guys " greeted Robbie, lifting his hand in a wave at the two nerds.

" Robbbie, shut up or I will cut you ," whirled Jade ," you morons get up to the catwalk and handle the lighting before I decide to use your heads for dodge ball "

Andre shivered , and made a face ." Dodge ball ?"

" Don't encourage her , dude " spoke up Beck, then turned back to his girlfriend ," when did you add the love scene ? I thought you were actually listening to Sikowitz about it "

" I cut our scene ," answered Jade ," I wanted to see if the Roland and Ana sex scene does anything plus Tori is freaking out . It's great and why are you so jumpy ? You're bugging me, go help Robbie or something "

" I'm just studying my lines since you keep rewriting them ," answered Beck, honestly ," even though there was nothing wrong with the original play that you wrote . Which I think we should use by the way ….it's perfect and brilliant as it is , babe "

" Maybe ," Jade was nervous , as she fidgeted with her pen ," I don't know , Beck . There's a lot at stake here and a different audience ….will you stop looking back there ! We are the only ones here "

" I guess I'm just waiting for Reardon to show his face in here "

" I handled it . I told you I took care of it and it's cool that you're being all sappy and protective but stop it ! " Jade kissed him, swiftly ," Vega, you gonna get out here and model your costume for this scene ?"

Tori stepped out onstage, arms crossed over her chest, and wearing a thin lacy bodice and skirt .

" You can practically see my boobs in this ! No offense to your sewing , Cat, but I cant wear this ! "

Andre whistled , appreciately ." I think you look pretty hot, Tori "

" Stop being such a dude , Andre ! "

Sinjin looked at Burf then at the beautiful Latina freaking out onstage ." It is a hot look "

" Don't be such a prude , Vega ," chuckled an amused Jade ," your all covered . "

" It's satin underneath the lace so its still modest " contributed Cat ," so you're covered and not showing anything you shouldn't , Tori "

" I think it's pretty " added Robbie as his girlfriend shot him a dirty look," not that I'm looking at Tori . Good design, honey "

" Just run through the damn scene one more time " Jade cut through the crap ," so I can make up my mind if it stays in "

Meanwhile the icarlies had finished a quick run-through of their own version of Romeo and Juliet with Sam not finding the humor in the romantic tragedy that her friend had turned into a comedy of sorts . It still had too much sap to suit her and Carly was still refusing to take over the Juliet role from her .

She was better suited to play the prissy Juliet to Freddie's dorky Romeo .

" I didn't change her that much ," replied Carly ," you're reading too much into this . Julie isn't prissy, she's got more you in her since I adapted her to make everything current "

" I don't know how funny it is when you cut all the cool stuff, Carls ," retorted Sam ," Can't I just use the poison on Gibby instead of Freddie …."

" Hey ," protested Gibby ," I don't want poisoned "

" You could die first so then Freddo would get that I was trying to kill him "

" There is no actual killing in this ," contributed Freddie , sending Sam a special smile reserved for her ," and don't let Spencer mix up the fake poison I'm pretend drinking . I don't actually want to die …"

" I could get hold of some stuff that would work ….." said Sam with a gleam in her blue eyes .

" If you girls are going to be hashing this out for a few , Gibby and I are going to check out Jade's rehearsal today ," interrupted Freddie ," Robbie had some ideas about modifications to the soundboard he was thinking of making and I wanted to see what we could do to it "

" Sure you did …."

" I think it's a really cool play " added Gibby , stealing a glance at Carly .

She looked pretty dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a red penny tee , her hair curling in the morning heat and he was struck by her natural beauty .

Course he was still just a Gibby to her but he was hoping to change that eventually .

" Bring me back food " hollered Sam, " don't take all dang day with it either "

" I'm on it .." assured Freddie , matter of factly .

" Tell Robbie hi for me ! Don't forget ! " chimed in Carly on a sigh , not noticing the baffled look in Gibby's eyes as he tried to connect the dots as why this request bothered him.

Gibby frowned ." Robbie and Cat, too "

" Sure " dismissed Carly, turning her attention back to her best friend and not wanting the guys to know anything just yet . Not until things were progressing more with Robbie .

Gibby bit the inside of his jaw and pondered what he knew and it seemed likely to him that Carly had a little crush on Robbie . He didn't think he was really her type of guy except for maybe his dark hair but what did he know ?

Wasn't like Carly to be all flirty face with a dude who was in a relationship either so maybe he was missing something here. She was a good girl .

Maybe Robbie was flirting with Carly but that was bad too . Crap, Cat was his friend too and the girl was head over the moon for him.

He didn't understand any of this but maybe Freddie knew more about the weirdness .

" Gibby, come on "

Putting his thoughts on the backburner for the time being , Gibby followed Freddie , leaving the girls alone to hash out the play and Sam's resistance to play a prissy girl .

Sam turned a questioning gaze on her best friend ." Are you trying to be obvious or what ?"

" It was just Gibby and Freddie ," dismissed Carly, nonplussed ," Sam, Robbie and I had a real moment this morning ! He is so sweet ! Didn't I tell you that he likes me ?"

" Uh, yea," Sam hesitated , almost wary to ask ," Puppet Boy made a move on you ?"

" Not exactly but maybe ," explained an excited Carly, tugging on her arm ," I was upset this morning, Robbie came in to wake up Cat, and then when he saw what a wreck I was he put his arms around me and told me that I'm pretty ! "

Sam tried to be excited for her best friend but one part of her was kind of wazzed off that the nerd would hit on Carly in the first place. He was supposed to be dedicated to Cat .

" Great, Carly, " managed Sam," wait, why were you upset ? Your dad ? "

" Dad is fine . I told him that Brad texted me and he didn't want to try the long distance relationship thing ," elaborated Carly with a sigh ," I was totally the damsel in distress "

" Brad texted you ? I thought you guys agreed it was cool ages ago ?"

" We did but I ..there was no need for Robbie to know the details, Sam " defended Carly.

" You lied "

Carly bit her lip but held her ground ." Maybe but you don't get to say anything about white lies or fibby to me, Sam Puckett , cause I have helped you more times than I can count with your own! I was just …doing the same thing !"

Sam couldn't argue with the truth there yet she was bugged about the whole thing .

" So all this is great but what about Cat ? She know about any of this happening ?"

" That's the best part ," went on Carly , imaging a kiss between herself and the glasses wearing cutie ," Cat overheard what Robbie said to me and they got into a big fight ! She wasn't talking to him ! "

Despite her loyalty to her best friend, Cat wasn't a bad person and she was going through a rough time with her family and if Carly got the girls nerd then that would suck. The redhead was kind of growing on her and this sort of felt ..wrong .

If someone tried to pull a stunt like this on her and Freddie , she would hate it .

" Carls, are you sure you want to do this whole thing ? I mean, Shapiro isn't the best tuna in the sea or anything . You can do a lot better than him.."

" I love him, Sam " Her voice was soft and solemn ," tell me that you can use your mad , evil skills and find out more about Cat and Robbie's relationship for me ? I know Cat isn't the brightest bulb around but I think she might have a clue that I like her honey ..you're more stealthy at this kind of stuff than I am "

" They cant stand to be apart from each other ," retorted Sam, sarcastically ," what more is there ? They grossed me out and I already told you Red is insecure ….think it has something to do with her old boyfriends "

" so, you'll find out more then ?" Carly threw her arms around Sam's neck in a happy hug .

" Sure , kid, sure I will " agreed a reluctant Sam, torn .

Meanwhile in the theatre the girls were backstage going through make up and costumes with Cat so the guys were all hanging out talking to Gibby and Freddie while Freddie fiddled with the soundboard with Robbie .

" So, how's things going with your play ?" asked Andre , conversationally .

" Sam still hates half the lines Juliet has ," told Freddie ," usually the girls write this stuff together but this is Carly's baby . Her Juliet is still a little too ..girly for Sam "

" Why doesn't Carly just play her then ?' inquired Beck, logically .

" She thinks since Sam and Freddie are already a couple , Romeo and Juliet is perfect for them to play " added Gibby, simply.

" Sam hates Shakespeare "

" She wants to really poison me …."

Andre chuckled ," We should keep her and Jade away from each other . Might be dangerous ..jade is dangerous "

" Jade isn't dangerous " amended Beck, dryly .

" No, but your girlfriend can be scary " countered Andre ," not changing my tune either "

" I agree with Andre ," spoke up Robbie , a lot weighing on his mind ," so, uh, I was thinking ..that is Cat and I are having ..we're dealing with some new things in our relationship but not real sure how I should handle some things …."

" Thought you two made up ?"

" We did and I think we're okay " replied an honest Robbie ," we are fine, I mean, but I have some you know , personal questions I wanted to ask you guys about how I ..should maybe handle things with us ."

" Personal things ?" inquired Beck, lifting a dark brow .

" The girls are back there ," whispered an embarrassed Robbie ," I don't want Cat to hear ..she might not speak to me again if she knows I'm ..that is its about …sex and intimacy ..between me and Cat "

" Ooooooh …..that is personal " said Freddie , " big step there "

" I know that ! So can we hang out tonight ? Just us dudes and you know, talk ? "

Beck and Andre shared a knowing and understanding look , nodding .

" Sure, Rob, " spoke up Beck ," we can hang in the Rv tonight and order pizza or burgers or something …."

" That sounds totally cool ," voiced Gibby in a disappointed tone ," Freddie and I hang out but we never have like an Rv to just , you know, hang in and chill "

" You guys could come and hang too " offered Robbie ," dude talk is rad cool . "

" Stop saying that, Robbie "

" Cool "

" We can hang tonight ," said Andre ," the girls can find something to do without us "

" I want to ….be with Robbie "

Tori and Jade shared a confused and shocked look then turned their attention to their friend.

" You are with Robbie , Cat ," laughed Tori, lightly ," you guys made up . Right ? What do you mean exactly ?"

" Be …you know …close to him….intimate .." Cat leaned in to whisper ," sex "

Jade tossed the costume aside and knew this was serious . Cat didn't like to talk in detail about what she considered private stuff between her and Robbie and this was defiantly private .

" Do you really want to have sex with Robbie or is this just because Carly wants him ?"

Cat stomped angrily across the floor and sent Jade a disgusted look .

" Why does everyone keep asking me that ? It's not about my brother or Carly , its about me and Robbie and how we feel about each other ! I'm not a child , dammit ! I know how I feel and what I want ..and why is it so hard for my friends to believe that I want to be with the man I love …? "

Her voice cracked, slightly ." Just because I never thought about it ..before with my other boyfriends ..I didn't love them. I love Robbie …"

" It isn't that, Cat ," amended a helpful Tori ," this ..its such a huge step though "

Cat clenched her fists together and let out a breath ." I know that, Tori ! "

" How does Robbie feel about this , Cat ? " asked Jade, searching her face for more than just the emotions that were on display .

Cat kept a lot in behind the happy and Jade was pretty sure she and Robbie were the only ones who saw the other side of the redhead , the girl thought about a lot more than puppies with sunglasses and pirates .

Cat played with a strand of hair ." I think he's a little nervous too but he wants to be with me ….we have talked about it, you know "

" Shapiro's a dude , not much of one, but still a guy so yea he wants to sleep you with you "

" I don't feel right staying at Carly's anymore so Robbie is going to figure out something for us " Cat twisted her hands together, nervously ," I knew it would just be a matter of time before other girls would notice Robbie …."

" Okay so I'm not that shocked that you want to have sex with Robbie but you don't have to ," elaborated a careful Jade ," I can deal with that little perky grunge for you"

" This isn't about Carly, Jade ! " insisted Cat , growing agitated ," I have been thinking about this for a while now . Robbie is my always "

Tori sighed ," Aw Cat, that is really sweet "

Jade dropped it for a change and sent out a text to Beck. " Which means you need something sexy to blow Shapiro's mind ," decided Jade ," we should hang out and go shopping . I sent a text to Puckett to find out where the nearest mall is and we can blow off the guys and do that tonight …"

" Shopping is a total vacationy thing to do " chimed in Tori ," we should see if Trina wants to go with us "

" No " Jade was adamant ," we don't need Trina hanging with us , Vega "

Tori sent her a withering look ." Trina loves shopping "

" She might be too busy with Spencer , Tori " commented Cat ," she has been spending all of her time with him "

" Yea because they are working together " laughed Tori," nothing more "

Cat winked , mischievously ." If you say so but you know , Robbie and I fell in love while we were working together on that assignment for Sikowitz "

" Yes, we know that and that isn't happening to Trina " stated a firm Tori.

" I'm going to get more satin out of the Rv and I'll just make another chemise for Tori ," decided Cat, distracting herself from worrying about Carly ," Be back in a boo "

Cat skipped out of the theatre and headed to the van, leaving Tori and Jade alone .

" Sooo, Cat wants to have sex with Robbie ," mused Tori," I know they love each other but do you think Robbie is pressuring her about it ? I can't exactly imagine that Carly is the type of girl to , you know, try to seduce him cause gross "

" Robbie would throw himself on my scissors before pressuring Cat ," declared Jade, knowingly ," those two lovebirds are always all over each other so makes sense they want to do the deed finally. I still think Cat is bugging over Carly but I don't think she would use sex …too big of a deal to her "

" Unless Cat thinks Robbie would leave her and this is a way for them to be closer "

Jade rolled her eyes, upwards. " Any other gank I would say oh yea , totally doing that to keep the guy but not Cat. You heard her , Robbie is her always "

" She's freaking still about Carly , Jade! You heard her ! We should do something "

" We are doing something ," answered Jade ," we're going shopping . You want to do something , Tori, then get the skinny on Carly since you don't think she is putting the moves on Shapiro "

" Carly and I have similar taste in guys ! We both dated cheaty Steven and hate to break it to you, but Robbie is nothing like that ! He's a nerd "

" Then you use your Tori charm or whatever and figure it out and I'll help Cat "

" Okay ," agreed Tori," you don't think Cat is just jealous , Jade ?"

" Cat is totally jealous but she isn't imagining things either . She's not that crazy "

" This is so strange "

Cat felt slightly better about things as she carried the white satin fabric back to the theatre, Jade in her own way, believed her and it meant a lot to her . Her best friend was a lot more experienced in these things than she was and that helped .

She was lost in her thoughts about Robbie and never noticed Sam until she had nearly ran her over .

" Oh my God , I'm so sorry ! I didn't see you there , Sam ! Please don't hurt me with your butter sock ! " apologized Cat , rambling ," I was thinking about Robbie and then trying to redesign this chemise for Tori in my head at the same time so I didn't see you because I was watching the pretty blue butterfly fly away …I'm sorry "

Sam chuckled, amused ." Slow down, Red , there a fire over at West's play or what ? You're in an awfully big hurry …."

" Costume emergency plus I left Jade and Tori alone which isn't always good because they fight a lot about everything ," explained Cat ," Sam, would you hurt me with your butter sock if I asked you a question about Carly ? I know she is your best friend and everything but you were honest with me the other night …."

" Just ask the question , Cat " prompted Sam, aware that Carly was watching them .

" I found Carly crying really super close on Robbie this morning ," Her voice cracked, slightly ," really close, Sam. I ..I feel like she is after my Robbie …"

Oh chizz

" Look, Cat, the thing about Carly is that she is really moody right now ," hedged Sam, thinking that much was true ," this whole deal with Brad . He's her ex-boyfriend , he did a number on her and she's having a hard time dealing with it and she's you know, used to leaning on dudes like Freddie . Robbie just showed up and caught one of her crying jags ….happens to all of us "

Cat frowned and held the material closer to him. " She's extra flirty with him "

" That is just the way that Carly is ," dismissed Sam, nonchalantly ," I don't even think she knows she goes into flirty mode . She isn't a threat or anything to you guys , Cat "

She felt acid rise in her chest and the bold face lie but tamped it down and managed a confident smile on her face ." Unless you think Robbie wouldn't be faithful to you ? Nub Junior a cheater ?"

Cat shook her head, violently ." Robbie wouldn't do that to me "

Sam hoped like hell that the redhead was right and that Carly was misreading things .

" Then sounds like you've got nothing to worry about then " assured Sam ," so, Jade said you gals are shopping tonight "

Cat perked up." Yes , we're having a girl night "

" Cool and you know , Carly is dragging me skirt shopping tonight so we ought to just all do the shopping thing together " brought up Sam, ignoring the high five signs Carly was giving her .

" Um, I suppose that would be alright " worried Cat, biting her lip ," I should get back before Jade starts texting me . Thanks for listening to me and telling the truth, Sam "

" You shouldn't have doubts about your dork ," offered Sam, feeling as if she needed to say something else ," even I can tell he loves you to death "

" He does ….byeeeee " Cat sent her a grateful smile and skipped back to the theatre .

" Weeeell, what did you find out ?" demanded Carly, urgently .

" She knows you are after her geek and she's still bugging over it ," confessed Sam," Carls, I know you have feelings for Shapiro but you don't want to , you know, make him cheat with you "

" Its not cheating if they break up first "

" I have a bad feeling about all this chizz , Carls, " said an ambivalent Sam ," I just don't think Puppet boy is worth all this crap "

" He is and I can totally psyche Cat out tonight when we're shopping with them ," beamed a overexcited Carly ," this is the most fun I have had in ages ! "

Beck parked the RV outside the Bushwell Plaza , tossed the blankets behind the orange couch , plopped down and noticed the black bra under his bed . Jade's .

He stuffed it in his pocket and skimmed the menus of the restaurants he pulled up on the computer as there was a loud rap on his door, signaling the arrival of the guys .

" Enter "

Robbie, Andre, Freddie, and Gibby all piled in the Silver Streak, the two Icarly dudes appraising it with appreciation of the coolness factor .

" This is way cooler than Socko's Rv that Spencer's borrowed before ," brought up Gibby ," can't believe that you live in here , man . I would love to live in a awesome place like this ….bet the babes really dig it "

Andre plopped down on a chair with a laugh ." They dig it alright till they try to hit on Beck and have to face the wrath of Jade ….it's pretty funny "

" Hey, Jade's calmed down some ," amended Beck," we're more mature this time around "

" They don't fight as much ," contributed Robbie, helpfully ," but they still fight a lot "

" It's just a part of our relationship ," explained Beck ," it isn't easy and its never boring . Jade is strong and passionate and I love that about her …"

" Sounds like me and Sam ," Freddie took a seat , thinking ," things have never been easy with us . She doesn't mince words and she has that passion …..and she's a lot more than that too. We've had some hell of fights but in the end , we always work things out "

" I'm not currently dating anyone ," chimed in Gibby ," wasn't really looking for another serious after Tasha and I split . Been playing the field, you know, but I've kind of got my eye on someone …."

Freddie raised a brow ." Since when ?"

" Since awhile ago but I'm handling things different since my Gibbyish charm wont work on this one "

Freddie chuckled ," Dude , you're not talking about Carly . Are you ?"

" I never mentioned a name " Gibby was defensive ," you never saw me mocking you about you loving Sam."

" You did it all the time ! "

Andre, Robbie, and Beck were amused at their bickering but Beck caught right to the matter at hand .

" So, what's got you freaking over you and Cat this time, Rob ?"

Robbie heaved a sigh ." Everything , nothing , I don't know where to start ," explained Robbie ," you know how she has been upset about her brother ? By the way , her Dad really likes this new doctor …."

Andre gave him a look," Rob, go on "

" I thought this whole vacation would be good for Cat ," continued Robbie , pushing his glasses up on the bridge of his nose ," good for us . Give her a chance to relax and I think it has but she has had moments where she is sort of out of sorts and fragile then suddenly she's unbuttoning my shirt and talking about us being closer and wanting me to get us a room …..we make out a lot but I never ….I would never pressure her "

" You want to have sex with her too ?" Andre cut right to the chase .

Robbie huffed and dropped his arms ." I love Cat and I am a red blooded male ! Of course I want to make love to her , Andre ! but we've only been together 4 months and I don't want us to rush into anything …..I want for our first time to be special "

" Rushing isn't cool ," this came from Gibby ," lost mine in a closet . Wasn't anything to brag about , just putting that out there "

" You have to think about Cat ," voiced a careful Beck ," what would make it special for her . What is right for you two..cause that would be a lot different than say me and Jade "

" Romance ," stated Robbie ," Cat deserves the romance "

" Jade and I , we might be more experienced , I guess you could say , but my girl is less high maitence taste than other girls "

" You don't have to keep up with Jade ?" Andre couldn't resist and ignored the dirty look that Beck sent his way .

" I keep up with Jade just fine ," boasted Beck with a slow smile ," her needs are easy but I've found it doesn't hurt to surprise her sometimes . The fancy hotel we're staying at -not her thing but the Jacuzzi she loves ….me telling her how I feel is important . We lost that the second time around and I don't want to take her for granted ….Jade might be tough and sexy but the words still important to her "

" I always tell Cat that I love her "

" Passion and inspiration ," voiced Andre ," that's me and Tori. We haven't done anything ..yet but I know it's going to happen between us . I just need to amp up the drama for Tori..put on a show for her that lets her know everything I do is all for her "

" Like writing her another song "

" Working on one now but I'm letting Tori take the lead ," went on Andre ," she freaked over a pretend love scene today so the girl isn't ready for us to go there for real yet . Think jade just put that dang scene in there just to torture me ….."

" That would be Jade " agreed Beck with a nod ," if you're not ready , Rob, then just don't do anything yet . It should be something that you and Cat both want …"

" I was nervous too, man, but Sam took the lead " brought up Freddie ," and it was ..amazing . She was incredible and it was …awesome and okay, maybe a little weird at first but it was special and it was us . She planned the whole thing and booked our room and ….it just happened "

" The main thing is that you're doing it with someone you love ," picked up Beck, wisely ," make it special for her . You know Cat better than anyone …make it the most special night of her life , Rob, and you'll be just fine "

" I always thought a bed and breakfast would be nice and romantic " admitted Robbie ," I want to do it up right . Fancy dinner , flowers, sweeping her off her feet …..the whole fairytale "

" Sounds like something Cat would be into " voiced Gibby ," girl likes to be courted "

" My girl does anyway though wish she wasn't getting jealous over nothing ," sighed Robbie ," I've been hesitant on finding a room for us til she gets over this silly idea that Carly wants me . I don't know if this is just my sweetheart being possessive over me or if maybe this somehow has to be like leftover feelings stemming from when I was with Roxie ….which if it is then I blame myself "

" What do you mean jealous of Carly , Robbie ? Something going on there that we missed ? Because Carly is one of my best friends and no offense , dude , but the girl I know has very high standards of what guys she goes after " defended Freddie ,wearily .

" It's nothing ," dismissed Robbie ," I think Cat was just overreacting . I offered Carly my shoulder this morning -she was crying over a horrible old boyfriend and my girlfriend took it the wrong way . Carly was not flirting with me …."

Or she was and you missed it ' thought Freddie to himself and was suddenly very worried that Carly was playing some sort of crazy game with his friend .

He couldn't wait to talk to Sam and get to the bottom of this .

"I would settle all that chizz before you and Cat decide to sleep together , Robbie "

" I intend to ," declared a firm Robbie ," and I want to buy her something special "

" I got Sam a charm bracelet for her birthday ," contributed Freddie ," don't doubt yourself like I did with Sam. Get your girl what you want to get her and the hell with what we say ….."

" So we going to get into the eating soon ? " interrupted Gibby ," cause all this sex talk is making me hungry . We should totally order some pizzas ….."

" Order us some pizzas , dude ," called out Andre , rubbing his hands together ," cause you all got to hear about how I about lost it right there on stage when Tori came out wearing that lacy thing looking more gorgeous and hot than ever and making me want to kick you all out of the theatre so we could recreate our own heat , if ya know what I mean "

Robbie settled back, taking in the bro talk around him, contemplating his friends advice, and determined to make a night between him and Cat the most memorable , wonderful night that they would both have and the most special . Cat deserved the world and he wanted to give her the stars and the moon and scatter their love with pearls .

Cat loved the precious , dainty gem and she was as beautiful as the gem itself .

Robbie wanted to shower her with his love and make her a magical night .

It might take some time but that was what he intended to do .


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Nope, sadly, I still don't own Victorious .

Thanks to Finesse aka butter flown for helping me thru my Seddie panic attack. I appreciate it so much and helping me move past the opening phone call.

Massive thanks to BlogFanction for our amazing writer chats and keeping me focused and kicked when I need it .

" Cat, why did you think that us hanging out and shopping with the gank who is after your

boyfriend is a good idea?"

" Just trying to keep the enemy close "

Jade smiled, evilly ." I'll have a little talk with Carly …"

Cat glanced over her shoulder ." I appreciate that, Jade , but Tori is talking to Carly "

" Tori isn't going to get anything out of the perky priss …" retorted Jade , surveying the Mall with a keen eye and taking in the different shops that Seattle offered that California didn't . They girls had lost Sam to the food court as soon as they hit the mall and she hadn't returned yet which was why Tori had decided to make herself Carly's new best gal pal.

" Carly is sneaky ," remarked Cat, in a soft whisper ," and she's a bad fake crier . I didn't mention that to Robbie ….and he doesn't like when girls cry so he wouldn't have believed me anyway "

" You're his girlfriend, Cat, Robbie should believe you over a gank any day of the week "

Cat bit her lip." We know we're having some problems "

" This is almost worse than him not breaking up with that North Ridge grunch and making you freak out a whole week until he got some guts to act like a man "

" I know that Robbie loves me, Jade , but ..but what if ..what if he's attracted to Carly ?"

" Then I will cut Rob with my new scissors like I did his stupid puppet and make him regret even looking at another girl ….and hurting you "

Cat sent her a grateful smile ." Thanks, Jade , but could you maybe not do that while Robbie and I are trying to work through our problems "

" We'll see …" trailed off Jade, sending a quick text to Beck about straightening out their friend before she had to take matters into her own hands .

" So, Carly, what do you think of our L.A. Boyz ?" Tori tried to be conversational and natural ," aren't Andre, Beck, and Robbie sooo good looking and different from the really cute dudes you have here in Seattle ? Though there are some really cute guys here …..you might not mention to Andre that I said that "

" The guys are handsome ," acknowledged Carly , airily ," and I'm over the guys around here . How are you and Andre doing ? I couldn't help but to notice all the making out between you two at my front door or in my living room "

" Andre and I are good ," smiled a pleased Tori , distracted by the thought of her sexy boyfriend ," we've been dating between working on Jade's play . I really think it's helped our relationship …we went from best friends right to a couple then , well, we broke up so we sort of missed the whole dating part "

Carly couldn't help but laugh and allowed herself a moment to drop her guard around the younger Vega girl . She still hated those cheekbones ( wished hers were that amazing ) but she genuinely liked Tori and hoped when things were all out in the open that her new friend wouldn't hate her for wrecking Cat and Robbie's relationship .

" You guys look happy ," managed Carly ," Tori, you guys are all friends in your little group . Right ? "

" Yeah …what about us ?" Tori hoped that she was about to confess something because she hated to think that Cat 's anxiety was acting up again over nothing .

" I hate to say anything, Tori, but I sense that things aren't all peachy keen with Robbie and Cat . She ..well, she flew off the handle at Robbie because he was comforting me about my ex-boyfriend . I don't believe she has actually spoken to me this afternoon….it's sad that they don't have trust "

" Uuuh, you know , Robbie is sweet and a really good friend ," Tori tried another approach , ignoring the blatant daggers that Jade was shooting at her ," and you don't know those two really well. Cat and Robbie's relationship has always been complicated ….and you aren't into Robbie . Are you, Carly ?"

A thin smile flashed across Carly's face then she tossed her hair off of her shoulders , casually.

" I think that Robbie is about the cutest , nicest guy I've met in a long time, Tori, "

Tori paused , outside of Cat , there were very few girls she knew that considered Robbie cute . Did that mean that Carly was into him though ?

She wasn't really giving off the right vibe but she didn't want to sick Jade on the girl either .

" So, uh, cant believe Robbie didn't freak out on you ," rambled Tori," he tries ."

" He really is a good friend but I cant imagine he was very comforting to you "

" We should find Sam before she eats out the food court " Carly laughed , nervously and darted into the center of the mall leaving a befuddled Tori all by herself.

" Weellll, that was rude " muttered Tori, under her breath as she rejoined Jade and Cat , who were studying a vendor of high priced scissors and other sharp objects that the dark haired Goth had been instantly drawn too .

Back in the food court , Sam was working on her second Fat Cake Smoothie and trying to figure out a way around Carly's plan without hurting anyone . She knew there was more to shopping with the girls than just finding another Carly skirt for her collection and it bugged her that her friend was so hell bent on going through with whatever was in her head to split Cat and Robbie .

She'd witnessed Carly in full out flirt mode hundreds of times over the years but she had never been this deliberate, this dangerous and Sam just didn't get it .

Shapiro wasn't anything !

Except he kind of had that adorable dorky thing that Freddie did though not in the same way and Sam didn't even want to consider that thought .

She just wished she could figure out what was going on in Carly's brain these days !

Sam was mulling this over when her pear phone went off, glancing at it , smiling when she read that it was her boyfriend.

" Freddie " Sam tossed the empty cup away and walked away from the noise .

" We need to talk, Sam "

Dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she wondered why he sounded so serious .

They were doing pretty good as far as their relationship went she had thought and outside of them getting into it over Carly's sappy play regularly, they hadn't really been into it , anymore than usual.

" So, talk," Sam found her voice ," what is it, Freddie ?"

" I talked to Robbie and I think Carly might be coming onto him for real "

Sam sighed in relief ." Thanks for nearly giving me a coronary, nub. "

" I am being serious, Sam ," continued Freddie ," Rob acted like it couldn't possibly be true and since when has Carly been crying over Brad ? I thought she had stopped doing that months ago which makes me think that there has to be some truth why Cat was upset over whatever crazy chizz went on this morning between her and Robbie "

" Carly is really into Robbie ," admitted Sam, trying to make him understand ," and she hasn't told me anymore about Brad texting her this morning ! I do know that your friend the Puppet boy isn't all the innocent either , Freddie . He was flirting with Carly too "

" No," Freddie was adamant ," I just don't believe that. Robbie is as dedicated to Cat as I am to you, Sam. He would not do that …"

" You do know Carly right ? You've seen the girl in action ? If Carly says the dude flirted with her then he did …."

" I know how pretty ,Carly is and I'm well aware of the flirty Carly thing she does as are most of the guys here at Ridgeway ," Freddie was mid-rant when a thought occurred ," Sam, you aren't ..helping Carly with whatever this is exactly . Are you ?"

Damn.

She hadn't wanted to do this with him and now the dog was out of the bag .

" Carly has a bone in her mouth about this chizz and Shapiro ," answered Sam on a sigh," maybe once she gets the dude , she'll drop the whole thing ."

" Get the dude ," repeated Freddie, anger rising in his tone ," Sam, you cant be serious . I have never seen Carly go after a dude like this and I don't believe you- this is wrong . Robbie and Cat are happy . "

" Maybe, maybe not but they have some issues "

" How exactly are you helping her ? " demanded Freddie , afraid he already knew the answer to that one .

" Just you know, helping her out with the info about Cat and Robbie's relationship ," admitted a reluctant Sam, not wanting to lie about it ," because of how Cat trusts me now that we're sort of friends. It's not a big deal , Freddie , and it doesn't have anything to do with us ."

" It's wrong, Sam ! All kinds of wrong ! I thought even you would be able to see that and I sure as hell don't understand what has gotten into Carly ! What if someone tried to break us up ? Would you want to jump on board and help out too ?"

" Carly is my best friend, Freddie ! She's done a lot of chizz I know she didn't want to for me before so I have to help her with this , Freddie " swore Sam, under her breath.

" I know you love Carly, baby, and so do I but I'm disappointed in the both of you ," replied a solemn Freddie ," I have to go . We'll talk about this later ….."

" Freddie , come on …" Realizing he had already cut out of their argument, Sam pocketed her phone with disgust as Carly rounded the corner and questioned her own decisions .

" There you are , Sam, " caught up Carly ," I swear that Tori doesn't give up. I have got to figure out how the villainess on the soaps go after the man without making all of his friends suspicious ….."

" You know if you do manage to steal Robbie away from Cat ," brought up Sam, still troubled by her fight with Freddie ," none of his friends are going to like you . I know you hate the hate, kid ."

" We don't know that," muttered Carly, under her breath," we don't ! Okay, so, Jade might try to kill me but I'm not that scared of her ! I am but you have my back ! "

Sam nodded, quiet ." I do but are you really sure nub two is the one for you ? "

" I already told you that he is ," Carly grabbed her arm," come on, let's catch up with the girls. You need to help me find another way to get Robbie alone ….."

Sam groaned , her mind still on Freddie's disappointment in her and wondering when things stopped being black and white for her . There was too much gray , too much muddy , dirty water in this mess, and she didn't know if there was any chance at derailing Carly from the madness before things exploded for real.

" So, Tori, I was wondering something ," asked Cat, as they perused the racks of dresses at Saks ," have you and Andre had sex ?"

Tori blushed and shot Cat a murderous look. " Cat , we're in a store ! Don't ask me such a ..private thing where people might hear us …."

Amused , Jade wandered over to join the fun. " We don't know anyone here, Tori. You should answer Cat's question …."

Tori tossed the bright red blouse back on the rack and leaned in closer to her friends .

" Just because Andre and I are back together now , it doesn't mean we're just going to rush headlong into ..into having sex with each other "

Cat frowned ." Is that what you think I'm doing with Robbie ?"

" Maybe a little ….but I don't know, Cat, " continued Tori," that is between you and Robbie . As for me and Dre, I'm not ready for that next step. Not yet ."

Cat grew silent , contemplating ." It doesn't feel that way to me "

" Then you should follow your instincts and your gut, Cat ," offered Jade ," so, tomorrow night is that big party the festival is hosting for all the playwrights and everyone . The invite says its some swanky deal so we need to find us some new dresses, ladies "

" I have my new purple dress ," said Tori, trying to be practical," I can just wear that even though Andre has already seen me in it " She sent a longing look to the dress rack where bright, sparkly dresses had caught her eye .

" If you want to be boring, no one cares "

Tori scowled at her ." I am not boring, Jade ! "

Jade ignored the brunette , pulled a dress from another rack, and held it up with approval and a wicked gleam in her eyes.

" Here, Cat ," declared Jade ," I got the perfect dress for you "

Cat took one look at the extremely short black dress with the plunging neckline, the bareback, and the thigh high slit in the skirt and shook her head , violently .

" Jade , I can't wear that in public ! It shows way too much of me ….."

Tori inspected the dress , appreciatively ." It's a hot dress "

" You've got to be kidding me, Tori," Jade was astounded ," you freaked out over wearing a damn lace bodice but your okay with this dress ?"

" It's a cool dress , Jade "

" Not for me . I'd be too embarrassed to wear it . It's just too sexy " offered Cat , her eyes gravitating towards a rack of ultra feminine short dresses .

" Robbie's eyes would bug out of his head if you wore this, Cat " suggested Tori, helpfully .

" Maybe but it's not really my style is all ," says an unsure Cat," besides Robbie likes the way that I dress ."

Jade and Tori shared a mutual look and a nod.

" Cat , " pointed out her best friend ," you dress like a housewife from 1940"

" I thought we agreed it was more 1950 " interrupted Tori, fixing Jade with a look.

" Ooooh, I love those times ! The dresses were so pretty and classy and glamorous "

" Cat, there isn't anything wrong with dressing sexy ," interjected Tori," our outfits we performed in at Yerba were sexy. Granted the dress is a bit more sexier and Frankly, Robbie would love you if you were wearing a paper bag but it doesn't hurt to knock him out of his tennis shoes "

" Look, Cat, Robbie is still a dude ," cut in Jade," not much of a man but he still counts . Look the dress is sexy and your wanting to get sexy with Robbie …..wearing this is going to help you with that "

" Don't you like the feeling you get when Robbie makes you feel sexy ?" asked Tori, thinking of Andre ," Dre gets this look in his eye and its like …I cant breathe because I know he wants me "

She blushed and turned back to the dress rack." Maybe I need a sexy dress too. "

A slow , dreamy expression played across Cat's smile as she examined the silky fabric of the daring dress then bit her lower lip.

" Yea, I do ," admitted Cat, considering ," and it is a hot dress but its not really my idea of sexy either "

Jade snatched the dress away from her ." Fine but we're not letting you buy pink "

Outrage flitted across her face. " But I love pink ! I saw a really pretty dress with little flowers all over it and it was pale pink and strapless …I haven't worn a strapless dress in awhile "

" A strapless dress is not living on the edge, Cat ! " Jade gave her a little push," black or red is sexy. You want to make Rob drool over wanting you….."

" I don't think I want him to drool, Jade , because that might not be good "

" Tori," called out Jade, a woman with a mission," Grab some of those black dresses for Cat to try on and nothing frilly and lacy either ! "

" Phooey , " grumbled Cat but followed after her friend ," I'll try the sexy dresses on but that doesn't mean I'll buy one . I know what my Robbie finds sexy about me ….."

" He's a dude so wear the sexy dress for him ," continued Jade ," that's the whole point "

" I don't know about this …." trailed off Cat as they led her to the dressing room , passing Sam and Carly along the way .

"Hey " acknowledged Sam, her mind battling over Freddie and Carly and not coming up with any easy answers . It would be better if she just didn't let her damn conscience get to her but the pesky thing kept whispering in her ear.

It was starting to get annoying .

" Hi.." Carly smiled pleasantly and pulled Sam over to the dresses where the girls had just come from," Sam and I are just going to be over here "

" Now we're following them, Carls ? We came to the mall with them so being all sneaky seems kind of lame now "

" We spoke to them," defended Carly ," so that doesn't make it sneaky . It's not like we're doing anything so wrong to them or anything . Looks like they are trying on clothes which reminds me I need to find a very hot dress that will make Robbie notice me …."

She glanced briefly at the racks of pastel dresses then with a determined sigh, moved onto he shorter dresses and began sorting through them, intent on a dress made for seduction .

" Don't you have enough skirts and dresses to choose from at home ? You should wear one of those strapless deals you own …they count as hot."

" Not hot enough ," Carly held up a black dress ,examining it with a critical eye ," besides I got invited to that swanky dinner the festival committee is throwing tomorrow night . I figure it will be the perfect opportunity to get Robbie alone ….."

" Hey Carls, what exactly did the nerd say to you this morning ?"

Carly glowered at her ." I told you already , Sam! Geesh, do you even listen to me anymore ! Robbie said that I'm pretty and that he would be lucky as cheese to be with me "

" Lucky as cheese ? How is being compared to cheese good ? " Sam was still puzzled .

" You weren't there ! He was very sweet to me ! " A short champagne gold caught Carly's gaze and she couldn't resist it's lure ," oh my God, this is it ! What do you think, Sam ? Isn't it perfect ?"

Sam raised a brow ." You don't have the chest for that neckline, kid "

Carly shrugged ." No but I do have a new push up bra that will do the job and the short will show off my fabulous legs . He wont be able to resist me ! "

Sam approached her friend ,carefully. " Can't you just practice writing your name in different fonts again ? Carly Shapiro," Sam stuck her tongue out ," Mrs. Carly Shapiro. Doesn't really ring any bells or sound good , at all "

" I happen to like the sound of it "

" You've never gone to these lengths to get a guy before ," reminded Sam for what felt like the millionth time since the Hollywood gang arrived in town ," or been this , I don't know, calculated and devious in ways to get them before ."

A quick flare of what might have been apprehension blinked behind Carly's eyes then before her best friend could catch it, it was gone .

Carly's voice was low and soft that Sam had to lean in to hear her .

" I've never been this in love with a guy before . Okay ? So sorry if you don't get it "

Sam held up her palms , heaved a heavy sigh, and wished her friend would crack past this chizz . She knew it had to be more than just being head over heels in love but that was the story that Carly was sticking too and she was getting tired of trying to talk her out of it .

However, one last try couldn't hurt .

" Don't you want it to be mutual ? Cause I still kind of think the nerd only has eyes for Cat ."

" It is mutual ! Did I ever ask you these stupid questions about you and Freddie being in love ? Don't answer that, Sam ! " Furious and hurt , Carly grabbed the dress and stomped away ," you will see that Robbie is just as in love with me as I am with him ! "

" That's what I'm afraid of "

" I may have to fire you now , Trina "

Trina giggled and rolled closer to Spencer to press a kiss to his neck ." I'll model for free ,Spencer ," she muttered , happily ," I can't believe this is happening ! I'm so happy , I want to ….shout it from a rooftop that I love you "

" I think we should avoid roofs ," Spencer wrapped his arms around her as they cuddled together in bed ," dangerous places to be . "

She ran her fingers through his dark hair , grinning when he sighed in response , and kissed him swiftly ." You don't ..regret this ..us ….do you ?"

Spencer hesitated before drawing her into a passionate kiss that took away any doubts that she had about his feelings for her while he tried to process the array of insane thoughts that were running through his brain making him crazy .

" No regrets , Trina, but we could have taken our time , I suppose ," Spencer tried to be rational here for a change ," and you make me want things I haven't thought about in a long time . Which is just nuts ! "

Trina 's eyes widened and she rested against his chest ." Like what ? Because I have to tell you, Spencer, you could suggest anything and I'm pretty agreeable right now "

" I can't even make sense of things right now ! Do you want us to just …" Spencer swallowed the lump lodged in his throat ," just enjoy each other while you are here ? What happens when you go back to L.A.? "

Trina sat up abruptly, elbowing his side and pulling the sheets off of him to cover herself , her emotions bursting with a mixture of hurt and a touch of anger .

" Ow that hurt " Spencer reached around for her robe and covered himself while she paced . He was afraid he had upset her but they both couldn't not think here .

" You want to be some skanky summer fling ? That's all you want with me, Spencer ? I have waited all of my life , that's 19 , of them , buddy to fall in love with you and you want to just tell me you are in love with me and then I go back to my life at home ? Is that it ? "

Spencer tied the red robe and padded over to her , putting his hands on her arms to still her .

" No, I don't want that ," admitted an honest Spencer ," I don't want that at all. I've been with a lot of women …rephrase that so you don't hurt me with your karate , but I am in love with you. The real thing you see in the movies and that my sister gushes about ….that my parents had …that is how I feel about you, Trina "

" I don't have to go back to California ," decided Trina , " I can find a job here "

" Trina, you should know , I'm not rich ," Spencer let her go," I do alright with my art but I need some good solid showings or a decent job designing sculptures but still not having big bucks . I'm charging this hotel room ….."

Trina touched his shoulder and slipped her arms around his waist ." I don't care about that stuff ," She said and surprised herself that she meant it ," I care about you. I have talent and I can easily find a job in Seattle to stay here with you …I can totally do that "

" I couldn't ask you to do that " Spencer kissed her forehead ," and your parents will kill me if your Dad doesn't have me arrested first "

" Let me handle my parents ," informed Trina ," and you didn't ask me anything . I will do what I want to do with my life and I want to be with you "

" You make it sound so easy ….."

" You make it more difficult , Spencer, than it has to be ! We love each other and want to be together ! So we will be "

Spencer drew her into another kiss ." You make me believe you "

" Good so we'll work out the details later ," Trina kissed him again," after you buy me supper . I am starving ! "

" I can make us supper "

" It is so hot that you cook ! Cause I can't cook anything ! " declared Trina , heading into the shower ," oh and Spencer , nice legs "

He shook his head ruefully, thinking he looked awful in her robe and how he was going to tell Carly that he was making plans with his life that included Trina Vega in them .

" Cat, " hounded Jade , " come out of there so we can see how the dress looks on you "

" I don't want too….."

" Cat, come on ," joined in Tori," it can't be that bad . Let us see "

" Alrighty …..I guess " The dressing room door opened slowly as Cat stepped out wearing a skintight red dress that had a built in bustier that pushed her breasts up among the fabric making her uncomfortable ," but I can't breathe in this ."

" Cat, that looks amazing ! Robbie will faint when he sees you in that ! "

The redhead crossed her arms over her chest. " This is too revealing ! Even Jade 's new dress doesn't show this much ! I don't think I can wear this ! I don't feel right ..I'm just not comfortable in it "

" Your not wearing it for you," reminded Jade , who was growing tired of reminding Cat of this fact ," it's for Rob. This dress is so hot it will take care of the awkward between you guys when you have sex …."

Cat took offense ." Robbie and I aren't having sex tomorrow night , Jade ! Just because we want to be together …hmm, he's making plans for us "

" Just a thought, Cat " Jade gave up ," I'm getting something to drink "

She walked away leaving Tori to deal with Cat by herself and headed off to meet Sam in the food court . Looks like they would have to take care of this chizz themselves .

" Now Jade's mad at me " Cat plopped down in the settee , horrified when the dress shifted and covered her chest with her arms ," I want to surprise Robbie and for him to see me as sexy but this isn't me , Tori. I'm sorry ….I know that you and Jade were just trying to help me "

" It is a little much ," Tori sat beside her ," Jade and I were just trying to help you. We thought it would help if you tried something new …"

" I feel like I'm trying to be Roxanne with the sexy dresses and the cleavage ," says Cat in a small voice," I don't want to remind Robbie of her ..I don't want to dress like her either . She and I are nothing alike ….and I know he thought she was hot . I….I thought maybe I could buy some pretty lingerie for when Robbie and I make love ….."

" Cat, you are nothing like Roxanne ," Tori put a arm around her friends shoulder ," one sexy dress shouldn't make you feel like that. She used Robbie . She didn't care about him at all ….you've never been insecure about your looks before . Where is this coming from?"

Cat shrugged , afraid to tell Tori when she hadn't even acknowledged it to herself .

" I know I'm pretty and it's not exactly that," muttered Cat, under her breath," I don't like that Robbie and I are having problems or that he wont believe me about Carly . How can he not believe me ,Tori ?"

" I don't know but you know how Robbie is, Cat ," said Tori," maybe he just doesn't want to get worked up over it and mess you guys up. This is good though and he is true to you"

I suppose you're right about that ," Cat stood up," I'm not going to get this dress "

" Do you want me to talk to Robbie for you ?"

" Thanks, Tori, but we'll be okay " sighed Cat , believing this was true ," I need to be stronger and make Robbie understand better rather than let you and Jade handle everything for me . "

Reaching for the pink silk dress she had snuck in between the black and red dresses, Cat 's head disappeared back into the dressing room .

" Took you long enough, West ," Sam gnawed on another chicken wing, tossed it onto a plate then fixed her with a pointed look," Carly is shoe shopping so I ran away for food . Where is Red and Cheekbones ?"

" Still trying on dresses ," Jade sat across from the blonde ," seems like we have a problem here ,Sam. I was just going to take care of it for Cat and be done with but she's not acting like herself so here I am . Perky Priss Carly is putting the moves on Robbie and this is a problem because my best friend is so freakishly in love with him I wouldn't be surprised what she has planned for them "

" Carly does want the nerd ," agreed Sam," I've been trying to understand why but she fancies herself in love with the dude. I sort of like Cat but Carls is my best friend so I gotta help her out but I'm not really in the mood to take the butter sock to you, Jade "

" I have my new scissors ," Jade brandished them," but I have a lot going on with my play and with Beck. I don't want Cat to get hurt ..she get hurt, I'll cut whoever helped and that will be the end of it ."

" Capiche," agreed Sam, taking another drink of her Fat Cake shake ," I've been trying to talk Carly out of this crazy chizz she is doing but I'm not reaching her . Now Freddie is onto her gig and he's all pissed at me …see where I'm going with this ?"

" I do and Cat's scared to death that Robbie is going to leave her for Carly ," went on a knowing Jade ," she hasn't said so much out loud but I know her . Look the girl is fragile …and Robbie lit into her on the way here about her jealousy so she's holding stuff in "

" Look I wasn't there this morning either , Jade , but Robbie told Carly that she was pretty and that he wanted to be with her ," brought up Sam," maybe we ought to go and beat the tar out of his hide "

" I've got Beck on dealing with the moron but are you positive he told the gank he wanted to be with her ? Cat was upset cause he told Carly any guy would be lucky as cheese to be with her …."

" Carly isn't a gank ! She wouldn't lie about this ! She wouldn't lie to me about this -we've been friends too long for her to do this lying chizz now "

" Cat doesn't lie ," added Jade , simply ," Rob usually cant lie any better than Cat can and I just cant see him hitting on another girl especially when he and Cat are making big plans to finally do the deed together . "

" So, we're stuck ," Sam sucked the last bit of shake out of her cup and tossed it on the table ," I can beat you with my butter sock ….."

" I can cut you with my new scissors but it's not going to stop this chizz from blowing up unless someone stops Carly " finished Jade , not mincing words ," and she's not listening to you "

" So we agree this chizz is going to get ugly and deep before it gets better ?"

" Oh yeah," agreed Jade , rising from the chair ," I'll make Shapiro put a stop to Carly "

Sam scoffed," Good Luck " under her breathe as Jade went to rejoin Cat and Tori.

The gold stiletto gleamed wickedly in Carly's hand as she inspected the high heel as if she were preparing for war rather than a party given by the committee of the Shakespeare Festival. It felt as if she really were prepping for the unmentioned war .

A war between herself and Cat Valentine for Robbie's heart .

Carly allowed her gaze to wander the expensive shoe shop, a cute pair of blue heels calling her name but she ignored it. Her not so subtle arsenal of flirtations hadn't exactly enamored Robbie to her yet but obviously it was time to step up her game .

She'd done enough tiptoeing around the flirting and clearly he had some hesitation on his part so she would just have to be more bold with him.

Cute wasn't going to cut it when it came to the affairs of the heart .

Unbidden, a snapshot of all the old boyfriends and the goodbye kisses played like some evil montage through her mind , reminding her how many times she had lost at love .

She fought the impulse to give in and have a good cry but that was the old Carly and she had decided this new and improved Carly was made out of tougher stuff than that.

She was Carly 2.0.

She shoved her foot in the sexy stilleto and admired the curve of her ankle , wondering if Robbie was a leg man.

Cat was sugar and spice and everything nice and Robbie needed a bad girl.

Well, me being a bad girl but he just hasn't realized it yet but he will " thought Carly to herself as Sam moseyed over to plop down beside her , relaxing .

" Those are some kicks ," noticed Sam," Socko wouldn't loan you some stilts ?"

" These are Fizzene , Sam," informed Carly, matter of factly ," sexy shoes "

" Looks like fall flat on my butt kind of shoes ," quipped Sam," you know, Carly, think you might need some help for all this extreme sexy boyfriend stealing alter ego who has body snatched you …."

" You dress more girly for Freddie ! " retorted Carly, angrily ," I'm paying for these "

Sam pulled out her phone, dialed ," Freddo, its your turn with Carly . "

Sam, Cat, and Jade had wanted dropped off at the Rv to spend some time with their respective boyfriends so Carly and Tori headed back to the apartment , themselves.

" I don't understand why I can't see your new dress ," begged Tori," we're all going to the same party anyhow, Carly. You have good taste in fashion so why the big secret ?"

Carly sighed and wished the brunette would be quiet .

" I'm trying something new "

"OH MY GOD "

" Kill me now , please "

Spencer and Trina looked up from their spot on top of the kitchen table, the remains of a ham evident on the floor , their arms wrapped tight around one another and embarrassment and shock combined on their faces as their sisters caught them in a tryst .

" Spencer , what are you doing ? We eat on that table ! " Carly couldn't believe her eyes , hands going to settle on her lips ," this has to be the worse thing I have ever seen you do in my entire life "

" Carly , calm down " Spencer helped Trina from the table , mindful of the hurt written all across her face and the mixture of emotions on Carly's face," It isn't what it looked like …"

" You were making out on top of the table ?"

" Spence, it kind of is that " said a nervous Trina, straightening her top.

Tori just gaped at her ." Trina , have you finally lost your mind ? You shouldn't be doing this ! He's your boss and this is ..its just all kinds of wrong ."

Trina approached her sister ." How is being in love wrong ? That is what you walked in on , little sister , and what I was going to tell you about tonight except you and Carly have really crappy timing "

" You can't love him ! You barely know him, Trina !"

" It was love at first sight for the both of us ," Trina's voice was soft as she tried to make her understand the truth," we've decided we both want an actual relationship so we're still figuring out that part . Can't you at least be happy that I'm happy , Tori ? You know how truly happy I am about you and Andre being back together ….."

Tori groaned and shook her sisters arm, frustrated. " You know I want you to be happy, Trina , but this wasn't what I was expecting . Honestly , he feels the same way about you back ?"

" Yeeees ! "

" Mom and Dad are going to kill you ! I need to go ..digest this chizz, Trina ,because its freaking me out " Announced Tori, sending a dirty look in the direction of Spencer and then running upstairs to the iCarly studio to process Trina's newest thing .

" Tori wants to run away from you nutcases and I want to puke ! You haven't been in a relationship in years, Spencer , so why start now and with her ?" demanded Carly, stomach knotted with worry at the unnatural state of chaos in her house .

" Because I am in love with Trina ," stated a calm Spencer , who wasn't sure why he wasn't flipping out but he felt good ," and I know I may still be your man-child big brother but I am a man " He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the censure in her tone ," an adult man, at that , and things are going to start to change around here , kiddo. "

" You've lost your mind completely ! You'll be over her in a week tops and this will just be another girlfriend in your line of revolving girlfriends, Spencer "

Trina flacked his side , taking his hand and offering him support . It would appear that Carly was more judgmental than her own little sister was ….interesting .

" You could show your brother a little respect " slipped Trina, unable to prevent the slip .

" It's alright, Trina ," assured Spencer ," She has to process it all first "

" I agree with Tori," declared Carly , glaring at Trina ," and I don't need you to tell me what to do, you gank ."

Trina felt a rise if indignation and tried to tamp it down ." Who you calling a gank ? "

" You " Carly allowed the anger to engulf her ," he isn't some rich playboy bachelor who hires high school graduates to model for him! We have no money ….."

Spencer put his foot down." Carly ! That is enough ! "

" I've had enough of this insanity myself ! Goodnight ! " Glaring daggers at her brother as well as Trina , Carly followed Tori's example , and stormed upstairs .

Spencer put his arms around Trina and nodded, thoughtfully .

" That went better than I expected "

" It was a good thing we didn't tell them that I'm moving in with you yet "

" Our sisters aren't ready for that news yet ," Spencer kissed her swiftly ," come on, I want to call my buddy Socko and tell him the good news "

" You have weird friends " muttered Trina but was delighted he wanted to tell his friends about their new relationship. He might still have doubts about them but she knew in her heart that they were meant to be and would make things work .


	15. Chapter 15

Babe ," Beck came up behind Jade as she was fastening a clunky bracelet to her wrist and wrapped his arms around her waist ," you look beautiful . I have to say I really like this blue on you …"

Jade relaxed against him and tilted her face up for a kiss ." Thanks," explained Jade , who was dressed in a short bright blue dress with matching lace sleeves and a thick black belt around her waist . Clunky short black boots completed the outfit ," thought I'd show those college bigwigs the many sides of Jade West "

" My girlfriend can be versatile ," smiled Beck, thrilled that she had lightened up a bit so that this was true ," and not fickle which is why she should leave Love's Lament alone and stop rewriting the script every other day ."

" Tori provoked me into doing that love scene ! Besides Andre wasn't complaining about it one bit "

" No, he didn't," agreed Beck, knowingly ," and I wish you wouldn't use Tori as an excuse . The play is brilliant and so are you, Jade , which is why we're here in the first place …"

Jade dragged a hand through her tangle of dark hair and moved out of his embrace , walking to pick up her phone , send off a text, and face her boyfriend .

" I want this college thing , Beck, " admitted Jade, her voice cracking ever so slightly at this admission," I never thought it would be such a big deal or anything . Turns out that it is a big deal and I want them to see me, see my work, and see Jade West, the screenwriter ….and be impressed with me . "

" Jade , they already are impressed with you," Beck pulled her back to him," and as long as you don't go in there and threaten any of those theatre department people , I bet that by the end of the night , you'll have all the colleges fighting over you "

A smile curved around her red lips at his belief in her ." You always believe in me "

" Yes " Beck kissed her brow," and I'm really proud of you, Jade ."

" I love you " Jade sighed ," Gah, and its not completely the festival and college either ."

Beck appraised her , curiously ." What is it then ?"

" My father is in town closing out some business deal ," explained Jade , softly ," and I invited him to the festival to see my play. I know it's stupid and I shouldn't give a damn but I guess ..I guess I want him to be proud of me too. "

Her relationship with her father was tense and strained most of the time . His disapproval in her and her rebelling against his by the book conservative ways had them clashing more than not but as Vega had said more than once to her about parents, he was still her Dad .

" Your Dad agreed to come ? " Beck was surprised .

" Yeah ," explained Jade ," I don't know if Mom threatened him or what but I got him a ticket and I got an email saying that he was coming ."

" Good ," Beck was relieved because he knew how hurt she got when he didn't show or put down her talent ," Your dad is coming around , finally ."

" I don't know, Beck " Jade bent her head and held onto his shirt ," and you're right about my play. It is brilliant and I hate it that Sikowitz is right but I'll cut the love scenes again because I don't really need them in it . The love and the passion comes across fine without them ..even though they are really hot ."

A devilish gleam appeared in his soulful eyes ." I always thought we could work on them in private, Jade ."

" Just not tonight .." trailed off Jade , hesitating ," Beck, this college here really does have an amazing theatre program. Reardon might be scum but he's taught some top notch actors and writers….and you are an amazing actor ."

" Are you asking me to consider Seattle with you ?"

Jade was stubborn and set in her mindset ." Not if that isn't what you want ."

" I want for us to decide together is what I want , Jade ," Beck was honest ," and right now, I'm just not comfortable with the idea of you getting dazzled by a theatre college where the dude propositioned you . "

" I can handle Reardon ," growled an annoyed Jade ," and you wont even consider Seattle ? They even have Advanced Shakespeare classes and a damn freaking yoga class as a minor …" She blew out a breath," NO. This is why we haven't talked about this serious chizz , Beck, and I'm just not in the mood to fight over it right now ."

" We're not fighting ! Though if I bring the head theatre person from New York over, will you at least keep an open mind and listen ? We've talked about taking on New York together since we first started dating, Jade "

Jade's anger dissipated as quick as it came on and she drew him into a steamy kiss .

" We can still do that, Beck, " murmured Jade ," just after college ."

Beck nodded and stepped away from her, " I feel like we actually got somewhere this time so are we picking everybody up at the Bushwell ?"

" The Icarlies are riding with Freddie ," informed Jade ," we've just got to pick up Cat, Robbie, Tori, and Andre over there ."

" In other words, all of our friends " Beck slid his arms into a dark navy jacket and pushed up the sleeves, noticing the amused twitch in his girlfriends blue-green eyes," what ? You picked the jacket out, babe, so you can't hate it now ."

" I don't hate it ," mused Jade ," you look hot , Beck, even if you are rocking the 1980's Miami Vice thing ."

" Dudes knew how to dress like dudes in the 80's "

" Whatever ," quipped Jade ,with a chuckle ," Let's just go pick up the others ."

_HAF_

Meanwhile at the Benson apartment, a whopper of a fight was brewing between Sam and Freddie regarding the events of Carly's newest plan and her best friends involvement in it Luckily , Andre and Robbie had decided to make a quick run to the nearest store for some Wahoo punch because Freddie really didn't want them to hear the play by play.

It wasn't pretty .

" How could you just agree to go along with this insane plan of hers ? Especially after Cat confided in you the other night, Sam. That is really low …"

Sam glared at him and felt tension build up within her . " Carly's plans aren't usually like this ! I figured she'd give up after a couple of failed attempts at Shapiro and give it up."

" Obviously she isn't if she is putting the Carly Shay flirtation on Robbie big time ! This plan is not going to bode well, at all, " Freddie was restless with frustration," you shouldn't even be involved in this, Sam. When this whole thing backfires, it won't be good …"

" Why do you say words like bode ? Do you just want me to punch you , Fred wad ?"

Freddie breathed in a harried sigh and rubbed his forehead ." Sam, I'm being serious here ," he moved closer and took her hands into his ," can't you just stop helping . Carly will be mad at you but she'll get over it . I will have a word with Robbie and hopefully anymore of this mess can be resolved without us getting more involved in it ."

Sam crossed her arms over her chest , incredulous at what he was suggesting to her .

" I don't believe you, dude ! You're the one who brought Captain Doofus into our lives and begged me to get along with his Prissy Pants girlfriend . Now that I'm doing that and trying to help you want me to take the easy way out ?"

" Robbie and Cat are our friends," argued Freddie , pointedly ," how are you helping them when your giving Carly tips on how to break them up ?"

" I haven't given her anything she could actually use against them ," tossed back Sam, blonde hair flying off her shoulders as she stormed into the kitchen to make a sandwich ," anyone with eyes or even a blind bat can see that Cat is insecure ! I don't believe that Carly would deliberately try to hurt Cat ..she doesn't have it in her , Freddie ."

" Cat and Robbie are fighting because of her ! Andre tells me they bicker occasionally but hardly ever fight ! Controversy makes them both sick ! "

" Fighting is good for the soul ," dismissed Sam, between bites of a ham sandwich," and if you think standing by and watching Carly go all vampy is a good idea, you're wrong . Why don't you stop yelling at me and you go see if you can get Carly to listen to you , Freddie ? See how that goes for you ….."

" Fine, I'll just go over and have a talk with her " declared Freddie ," talk some sense back into her then this whole fiasco will finally be over with once and for all ."

Sam chewed a bite thoughtfully." Good luck with that "

Perturbed at him over his sudden bossiness and the need to handle Carly himself and knowing full well what he was getting into, Sam just let him walk across the hall with the understanding that practical Carly had left the building awhile ago but he'd figure that out himself .

Freddie was a smart man but even she had her doubts on how this would go.

_HAF_

Stuffing his hands in the pockets of his dress slacks, Freddie headed next door, called out to Spencer only to have Tori yell from the downstairs bathroom that he was out, so he took the opportunity to mosey upstairs to Carly's room and catch her alone .

He really didn't want to embarrass Carly in front of Tori and Cat .

" Carly, hey," called out Freddie, leaning on the door jam," I was wondering if I could talk to you about something ?"

" Sure, Freddie , but talk while I'm finishing getting ready " Carly put the curling iron down, fluffed out the curls, and turned to face her friend," where is Sam ? I thought that she was coming over here to get dressed ?"

She turned around and a sound between a gasp and a croak escaped from his lips as Freddie took in the ultra short sparkling champagne and silver dress that she wore and the daring plunging neckline that showed more of Carly than he had ever imagined and gulped in some air , forcing his gaze back to her face .

Carly stared at him with concern ." Freddie , what's the matter ? Are you alright ? "

Freddie managed a wry smile , put his hands on the back of the chair, and let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding .

So nice of his girlfriend to give him the heads up about Carly's dress .

" You're not wearing that tonight . Are you? It's a stuffy party with theatre heads not ..not a freaking cocktail party or ..anything like that ," offered Freddie ," or maybe you should wear a little sweater over the dress ."

Carly bristled and tried to straightened the skirt but it only rose a bit higher on her leg instead and she had to catch herself from tugging it back down .

" You're acting weird ," noted Carly, picking up a red lipstick ," did you and Sam get into a fight ? Oh, and yes, I am wearing my new dress to the party tonight ."

She paused ," Don't you like it ?"

Freddie tried to ignore this awkwardness that he felt around her and had to remind himself of what his mission was in the first place . He couldn't be a dude and forget why he was over here -not to mention that Sam wouldn't be too happy with him if she found out that he had been distracted by this sexy , new Carly which brought him back to the problem .

He rubbed the back of his neck, hating he had to do that." You look beautiful and hot ," admitted Freddie ," but the thing is that dress ..Carly, you look desperate ."

Carly stiffened in defense and tossed the lipstick on the vanity , hurt and furious that her friend would dare say such a thing to her .

" D-desperate ? Your eyes are bugging out of their sockets , Freddie ," accused Carly ," I know that you find me attractive so don't you dare consider going there . What did you really come over here to talk to me about or did Sam put you up to this chizz ?"

" Look, Carly, I know what you're up to with Robbie ," Freddie tried another practical approach ," and you need to just stop it right now . Robbie loves Cat and you're the one who is going to wind up hurt when it goes all wrong on you so just drop whatever crazy scheme you have up …just let the whole thing go ."

" I don't need dating advice from you, Freddie " Her voice was laced with venom .

" Are you doing this because your jealous of what Sam and I have together ?"

It was the wrong thing to say to her and he watched the anger vibrate across her pretty face and settle across her features . He should have let Sam handle Carly because it was clear to him that he wasn't even making a dent with her .

" Jealous ," Carly scoffed at the notion ," I am not jealous. In case ,Sam didn't bother to catch you up, I happen to be in love with Robbie , Freddie . I was somehow under the impression that my best friends would want me to be happy as well….."

" In love with Robbie ? " Freddie searched his brain and tried to formulate another approach that might turn her around ," Carly, you and love really haven't had the best of luck . I mean, I'm here and so are you so why don't we talk about , oh, the time when you were in love with me . Remember that ?"

Carly rolled her eyes upwards and tensed . " Don't even say it, Freddie , because it isn't the same …that was different ."

" I don't think that it is ," countered a determined Freddie ," you haven't really been into any one guy serious since Brad moved away . Is it possible that Robbie is just like foreign bacon ?"

Carly whirled on him, her whole body vibrating with anger and swallowing back the tears that were just welling in her eyes but she refused to be weak. Besides it would totally ruin her eyes and it had taken her five different mascaras and five coats of the stuff to get her lashes to look like Cat's and she wasn't about to start over on that again .

" Robbie isn't any kind of foreign bacon ! Whatever else you're going to say, Freddie, just don't because I don't want to hear it . You can mind your own business too "

" Carly, come on," pleaded Freddie ," be reasonable . This ..whole new you isn't going to make Robbie dump Cat for you and you look ..ridiculous ."

" Leave now, Freddie " Carly's voice was thick was emotions clogging her throat but she refused to let him see how much his blunt appraisal of her wounded her .

Freddie opened his mouth to say something else but was afraid that he had already said too much. Maybe he and Sam should talk to Spencer about Carly's behavior and hoped that he would be able to reach her since he and Sam were batting a zero on the scales .

" Gibby will be here in a few ," reminded Freddie ,feeling like a horrible friend ," you going to come downstairs so we can get to the party ?"

" I'll be down when I'm finished here " Carly didn't turn around , brushed her curls off of her shoulders, and tried to act as if she was indifferent to his words .

Solemnly nodding all the while sending a text to Sam, Freddie left Carly alone and wondered downstairs passing Cat and Tori on the stairs .

Both girls wore dresses that weren't too fancy but pretty and a world away from what Carly was wearing . Which made it even more obvious of her desperation and he for one just didn't get it at all ….maybe this had been what Sam had meant .

The whole thing was an utter mystery to him and he'd mucked it up even more .

" Heeeey Freddie , will you send Andre and Robbie up here when they get here "

" Sure, Tori "

The girls moved into Carly's room, chatting with each other about the surprising choice of Jade 's dress . Neither one of them really paying attention to Carly .

" I still can't get over Jade buying that bright blue dress for tonight ," marveled Tori, adjusting the white thin belt around the waist of the sleek , short cobalt blue dress that she wore ," you know, Cat, I think I've only seen her in black, black, red, and green . It's like we're suddenly seeing this whole new side of Jade West while we're here ."

Cat fastened the pearl earrings in her ears and nodded ." Yes ," says a quiet Cat ," um, Tori, your dress is almost the same color as Jade's .You should probably change into something else so that she doesn't want to hurt you or anything ..just saying ."

" My dress is nothing like Jade's " pointed out a not quite sure Tori.

" It's blue "

" Jade isn't going to kill me just because we're both wearing blue ," laughed Tori, thinking that there was only a slight possibility that this could actually happen.

" I don't know about that…..I wouldn't want to chance it " sang out a knowing Cat , playing with a strand of her red hair,and wondering is she should have done something different with it . Maybe she could wear her hair loose instead of pulling the sides back with little clips like she normally did .

" There's our girls " declared Robbie as he and Andre noticed that Carly's bedroom door was open so they took it as an invitation to join them.

Andre peeked his head around the corner and caught Tori's eye and was rewarded with her dazzling smile that always hit him right in the heart .

" Are you girls decent in here ? Can we come in ?"

" Yes ," Tori greeted him at the door and tugging at his snazzy bright blue tie tugged him inside the room," About time you showed up, Andre . "

He slid her into a lingering kiss as his gaze swept down her body making color rise to her cheeks from his appreciation .He wasn't sure why she was starting to wear dresses a bit more this summer or whether it was just something she picked up from being friends with Cat so long but the short of the blue straight skirt showed off Tori's long legs and the rest of the dress showed off all of her curves in all the right places .

" You look good, Tor. Real good, baby " Andre kept an arm tightly around her waist .

" So do you, Dre ," Tori leaned into her boyfriend, smoothed a hand across his bright blue tie that matched her dress," very handsome and cool in a suit ."

" I figure it couldn't hurt to dress to impress ," went on Andre ," besides there might be some musical big whigs at this party tonight and couldn't hurt to look my best if I need to tell them about my music .."

" I never thought of that ! " exclaimed Tori as her cell phone went off for the third time that afternoon ," argh ! I don't want to talk to you right now, Trina ! "

" You have to talk to your sister at some time, Tori " reminded Andre, aware of the girls argument over the older sisters involvement with Spencer .

" No, I don't .." stated Tori, stubbornly," Trina has completely lost her mind ."

Before Andre could respond to that, Robbie turned around and felt as if all of the air had been sucked out of the room and him as his brown eyes fixated on Carly who looked unbelievably sexy and gorgeous that he couldn't think . She had did something with her hair so that it was all curly and kind rumpled , her eyes were done up smoky like and the daring neckline showed a creamy expanse of skin that made his throat grow dry .

The slit in the sparkly dress showed off those incredible legs of hers and it was all that he could do not to act like a crazy fool around the girl .

For one brief second, Robbie forgot about his girlfriend and ogled Carly fully until he heard a loud cough that sounded like it was coming from Andre .

" Wow," Robbie found his voice and his eyes locked with Carly's," you look incredible ,Carly ! " He loosened the neck of his shirt , suddenly tight around the collar ," wow "

" Robbie " Cat's voice was sharp and tinged with jealousy ," Robbie , turn around !"

She fought the rise of hurt and anger that gurgled and sputtered to the surface and yanked at his arm as if to say ,'Pay attention to me !"

Shaking his head, Robbie cleared his head, turned and found Cat chewing on her lip , her arms at her sides, fist clenched and clearly pissed off at him.

" Sweetheart, you look nice "

" Nice ," spat out Cat, her voice small," Carly looks wow but I just look nice ! If you're done drooling all over her, I'm ready to leave now ! "

" I wasn't drooling ! " stated Robbie but even he didn't quite believe it .

" You were ," says Cat ," I'm going to go downstairs and wait for Jade and Beck ."

" Cat , don't be like this " protested Robbie, stealing a side long glance at Carly out of the corner of his eye ," you're being ridiculous , honey ."

" I am not doing this around her ! " announced Cat, refusing to give Carly the upper hand .

She was already winning with the sexy dress and the skanky attitude that Robbie couldn't seem to resist but damned if Cat was going to let her gloat over her and Robbie fighting right in front of her .

Cat sent her friends an apologetic look and blew past them running downstairs .

" Cat …" Tori sent her a pleading look," come on "

Cat ignored her and they heard her run downstairs as they turned to face Robbie who was pinching the bridge of his nose, tired and irritated .

" Robbie," spoke up Andre, interrupting him," don't just stand there ! Go talk to Cat ! "

" She flies off the handle so easily these days …." sighed Robbie ," it was nothing ."

Carly sidled up to Robbie so close that he could smell her perfume and whispered in his ear ." You settle things with Cat, Robbie . You and I can talk about this ..later ."

" Huh ?" asked Robbie, worrying over Cat and confused by Carly's meaning .

" Looking is one thing, dude , but having eye sex with another girl in front of the girl that your in love with is bad ," hissed Andre , matter of fact," get down there and fix that now ."

" I wasn't ! " protested Robbie but took off after his girlfriend leaving Andre and Tori alone with Carly . It was clear to those in the room that Cat hadn't been imagining things where Carly was concerned and even Tori couldn't deny what seemed obvious .

" You did that on purpose " said Tori in a quiet voice," because I've seen how you dress on icarly and you don't normally dress like a gank gone wild ."

" I'm not a gank , Tori," stated Carly ,not mincing words," and I would have thought that you would understand love more than anyone . Robbie and I have that …."

Tori frowned and shared a baffled look with her boyfriend." Love ?"

" You'd just best leave Robbie and Cat alone , Carly " warned Andre ," you've done enough ."

*******************************HAF*******************************

Cat paced angrily around the room, her mind a jumbled mess of emotions running together, and wishing they were back home because she really wanted to throw something . She didn't really have the extra money that would make it worth throwing things that were in the Shay apartment though she was really , really tempted too.

God, Robbie did want Carly !

It made her heart hurt and the fear and the panic rose in her chest making her sick but she tried to tamp it down .

" Cat , you cant keep overreacting like this about every little thing ! Yes, I looked at Carly but so did Andre . We're guys and its natural ..just like you girls check out guys "

" I don't check out other guys when I'm with you, Robbie ," argued Cat, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hands ," and you were doing a hell of a lot more than checking her out ! I 'm not stupid, Robbie ! I saw how you looked at her ! "

" Yes, Carly is attractive " Robbie tried to calm her down even as his own anger began to brew .

Cat scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest ." You were ..you were practically making hungry eyes at her , Robbie ! "

" Fine, the girl is hot and I'm not blind but it doesn't mean a damn thing because as I keep having to point out , I love you ," groaned Robbie , blowing out a breath," I'm sick of these stupid fights, Cat ! You have got to trust me more ! "

" I don't trust her ! You..you don't believe me either , Robbie ! She wore that deliberately to get to you and you fell right for it ! Are you still going to defend Carly ? " asked Cat, her eyes wide and with the slightest bit of hope in them as she looked expectantly at him .

If she needed his love and reassurance it was now when it felt like her worse fears were coming alive and true .

" This isn't about Carly ," Robbie tried to be rational, " its about us. This is like the thing with Tori and its starting to get old and tiring . I think that Jade isn't the only girl with trust issues , Cat, and I think you just need to calm down so you can think rational ."

Cat bit her lip and gasped ." Trust issues ? No, I'm not fighting with you over us and my messed up relationships ! Not here in that ganks home where she can hear us ! I'm going outside to wait for Jade …"

" Running away isn't solving anything, Cat ! " yelled Robbie, feeling a headache coming on as the others joined them having witnessed their fight .

Crying , Cat darted past a confused Sam and Freddie to the elevator.

" Cat , what's the matter ?" asked Sam, afraid it had something to do with Carly but the redhead didn't answer , just let out quiet sobs as she threw herself into the elevator.

" This can't be good "

" Way to state the obvious , Freddie ," Sam followed him into the apartment where Robbie ,Andre, and Tori were talking all at once and Carly was no where to be seen.

" I don't need anyone's advice ," yelled a frustrated Robbie ," Cat and I are having a fight . She'll calm down and apologize in a few hours and we'll be fine ."

" Or she won't this time …..she was really upset this time, Robbie " brought up a worried Tori," and frankly if Andre had checked out Carly the way you did up there , I would be as upset as Cat is ,too. "

" Looking is cool but that just wasn't checking the girl out ," said an exasperated Andre ," Rob, I thought Beck and I explained all this chizz to you ."

" I'm done with this ," declared Robbie ," I didn't butt my nose in your relationship issues so please stay out of mine and Cat's ! I will see you all in the Rv ….."

" Not if Jade kills him first ….." muttered a knowing Tori," maybe we should call a cab "

" Sounds like a plan but we should probably head down there and keep the peace "

Sam was about to head upstairs as Carly glided downstairs blinking behind the sooty coats of mascara on her lashes as she told herself that true love was worth it .

" Carly, what in the chizz, did you do ?"

" I don't want to hear it, Sam, so just don't ," warned Carly, " lets go to the party "

*****************************HAF*********************************

The ride to the college campus was tense and uncomfortable with Cat curled up on the couch in the Rv, looking out the window and trying not to cry while Robbie simply avoided looking at his girlfriend , telling himself that this was her turn.

When did Cat start having doubts about his love for her ? If there was one thing he knew it was that he was hopelessly madly irrevocably in love with her and nothing had changed .

She drove him insane a lot but it was part of her charm and another reason he adored her but he didn't want to have to keep reminding her of the fact. She should just know .

Once she cooled off and thought things through they would handle this bump in their relationship , like they handled Daniel and Roxanne before .

Still one part of him felt a pang of guilt because he had noticed Carly but how could he not ? She was super HOT! It wasn't as if he'd been actively flirting with Carly ….even though he might have felt a pull towards the dark haired siren a time or two.

He was human .

It didn't mean that he didn't love Cat , it was just a little attraction .

" Avoiding Cat is real mature , Robbie " hissed Andre , under his breath," it also doesn't work. Trust me, Tori and I are pros at it and doesn't do a damn thing "

" It really doesn't , Robbie " chimed in Tori, debating on whether she should talk to her friend who looked heartbroken ," I was miserable avoiding Andre after the Beck thing "

" She needs to calm down and so do I " responded Robbie," we're here "

Beck parked the RV, opening the door and Cat was the first one out, sprinting past her best friend and running into the large building where the dinner party was to be held at and where she could get lost among the rest of the guests so that she could gather her thoughts . She knew that Robbie was angry at her and would expect her to go first .

She didn't know how she felt about that right now .

" Cat " hollered Jade but it was futile ," I knew this was going to happen ."

" You should talk to her ," replied Beck, knowing how worried Jade was about her best friend ," you need to focus on tonight and your future . You wont be able to if your freaking over Cat …."

" I'm not ," corrected Jade , pensive ," I'm going to have a little chat with Robbie ."

" Be kind and use your people skills, babe " Beck tried to make light but he knew there was no talking her out of this ," Rob has his pride too. He didn't listen to Andre and Tori so all I'm saying is he might not listen to you …."

Jade's jaw was set." He'll listen "

" So , guys, think we should get inside and mingle at the party " offered Tori, helpfully as she followed Andre and Beck into the fancy dinner party , leaving Jade with Robbie.

" Robbie ," Jade fixed him with a steely look," I warned you what I would do to you if you hurt Cat and you have . At first I thought it was pretty disgusting that she was nuts about you but then you two fell in love and I thought you were really good for her . She loves you, you moron, and the fact that you suddenly decided to grow a pair and go after another gank in front of her makes me want to punch you in the face ! "

Robbie had had enough and it didn't even phase him that he was dealing with Jade .

Right now, the tough girl didn't scare him !

Later he would probably regret it but now it just annoyed him to hell and back.

" Stay out of my relationship with Cat, Jade ! You and Beck were more screwed up than anyone so I don't need advice from you on how to handle my own girlfriend ! "

" Watch it, Rob," warned Jade , furiously ," and I wouldn't have to be involved if you would listen to Cat ! You don't even get why she's spazzing out . Do you ?"

" More stupid jealousy ! I would never betray Cat and she ought to know that by now ! I can handle my own relationship ! "

" Obviously you cant , Robbie, if you cant understand why she is so scared of losing you ! You don't even see the damn situation and its in front of your own eyes ! "

" Situation , Jade? You don't know what you're talking about and I will handle my relationship with Cat without interference from you or Andre or anyone ! I am perfectly capable of handling our issue without the whole lot of you ! "

" Is that why you couldn't even let Cat know that you believe her over some girl that you've only known for a couple of weeks ? Cause I don't see you doing that…."

" I know you are doing this because Cat is your best friend, Jade ," growled Robbie ," but we're through here . Good day …" In a huff and irritated that all of his friends thought he was incapable in matters of his own heart, Robbie began to walk towards the party , wanting to try to clear his mind and maybe look for Cat .

Meanwhile the Icarly gang hadn't had an anymore enjoyable ride over to the party than the Hollywood arts gang had considering that Carly wasn't speaking to any of them except Gibby who was still lost as to what had gone on that he missed even though Freddie promised that he would explain it all to him once they had a moment .

Once Freddie parked the car, Carly straightened her dress , pulled the front of her bodice up though it really didn't do anything to hide the revealing cleavage, and walked briskly away before Sam or Freddie could catch up with her when she felt a hand on her arm.

" Let go "

" Carly , what is going on with you?" Gibby removed his hand from her arm and swept his eyes once more over this new version of Carly ," why are you dressed like a showgirl from Vegas ? Though your hair looks really pretty that way "

He tried not to let his gaze linger to all the skin she was showing and met her eyes searching for his sweet friend and found hurt swimming beneath the mascara coated lashes . He didn't think he had ever seen her this distraught before .

" Why aren't you talking to Sam and Freddie ? Come on, what 's the big fight about ? I haven't done anything to you so will you please talk to me, Carly ?"

" Sam and Freddie cant let me be happy ," announced Carly , feeling a surge of rebellion mixed with her ire ," and there isn't anything wrong with me ! Can't a girl be in love without her friends wanting to ruin things for her , Gibby ?"

His brows furrowed as he contemplated her words ." Your in love ?"

" Yes , I am ! You going to take some shots at me too, Gibby ? Might as well "

" I wouldn't do that ," replied Gibby , rubbing his chin," but you haven't been dating anyone . I would know if you were dating a new guy , we all would know so you kind of lost me . Who are you in love with ? It's not Freddie again ..is it ? Cause that would actually make sense and would explain all the bad chizz with you and Sam."

" It's not Freddie ! It's Robbie ! "

Gibby stared hard at her , dumbfounded ." Cat's Robbie ? "

" She doesn't own him ! He isn't a pet , Gibby , and yes, I love him ! "

" So this whole get up is for Robbie ? Hmm, I'm really disappointed in you, Carly ," stated Gibby , quietly ," this ..you ..I feel like I don't even know who you are anymore . It kinda makes me sad because I like the other Carly a lot better . She's really nice ."

" I am not listening to you either , Gibby ! " Enraged and feeling as if the walls were closing in on all sides of her , Carly ran as fast as her high heels could take her and wound up in a pretty flower garden off of the patio which was to her luck, empty as everyone else was inside at the party .

Who was Gibby to be disappointed in her ?

No one . He was Gibby, for heaven's sake , and she shouldn't care what he thought .

She deserved her happily ever after too and she would have it .

Only half heartedly scanning the noisy party for his girlfriends red hair and feeling on edge because his friends had no faith in his ability to be aware and handle his own relationship and whatever this so called situation was , Robbie noticed the patio doors and escaped into the garden , skidding to a halt and nearly colliding with Carly .

She clutched at his arms , lifted her face, and as their eyes met , the air deepened and in that moment , the attraction between them crackled and sparked as Carly closed the distance between them . Confused and not thinking straight , Robbie reached for her blindly and leaned in just as she pressed her lips to his .

Robbie's eyes widened in shock behind his dark frames and he let go of her .

Unaware that they weren't alone in the garden, Gibby stood up from behind the bushes, shaking his head at the kiss as he hung his head , sighing , deeply .

" Carly, Carly, Carly " he whispered to himself and walked away from them .

" Robbie , why did you pull away from me ?" asked Carly , plaintively .

" What the hell are you doing ? W-what was that , Carly ?" groaned Robbie , horrified in what he had been about to do and knew that he needed to find Cat .

" I was trying to kiss you, silly ," Carly sidled closer to him," I thought you wanted to kiss me too ."

" I'm not thinking clearly right now ! I am sorry but this ..you and me ..we cant happen ! Cat and I might be fighting but it doesn't mean that we're over ..I love her ."

" You can't keep denying that you don't feel this between us, Robbie ! I thought you didn't lie ! Looks like you're the lying one now ! " accused a wounded Carly .

" I need to find my girlfriend " declared Robbie , running away from her .

" Keep running, Robbie Shapiro, but you'll come back to me ! "

Just inside the door and having only witnessed the kiss and not catching any of the rest, were an extremely pissed off Jade and Sam who had met up earlier in hopes of dealing with this chizz with the best friends once and had followed Robbie outside but neither had expected to find Carly and Robbie kissing .

" That asshole ! I am going to cut all the curls off his his head , break both of his legs, and take my time torturing him ," jade couldn't see through the red haze of anger ," I actually cut him some slack and the bastard lied . Cat is going to be devastated . This is going to destroy her and this will be the end of Robbie ….."

" Carls brought this on ," added Sam, jaw tight with tension," no dude can resist her when she sinks her claws into them . The nerd didn't stand a chance and I thought he was made out of the same nub material as Freddie but I was wrong about that one . You find Cat and break the news to her about her cheater and I'm going to go and ream Carly a new one for ruining their relationship ."

Jade tried to think where she might find Cat since they weren't exactly familiar with Seattle .

" I will scalp Carly "

" Let me beat her down first and see if I can reach the old Carly first , West "

" You got one shot, Puckett , then I get to play " warned Jade ," I gotta tell Beck what's going on before I start looking for Cat . Meet you inside in thirty ."

" Thirty is good " Sam turned around and headed back inside knowing Carly would be trying to hide somewhere obvious among the partygoers .

****************************HAF*********************************************

Back inside the dinner party was in full swing with the festival committee and various theatre department heads mingling with the contestants while a band played light rock songs with just enough taste to take the stuffy feel out of the room . A long buffet table was set up with delicious entrees while the wait staff moved around the room with canapés .

" These little cheese puff things are delicious " declared Andre, popping a couple in his mouth and chewing thoughtfully," you know, this wasn't the kind of party I was expecting . Guess Jade had it right about the swanky deal ….it has the swank ."

" There are a lot of different colleges here ," replied Tori, looking around the room ," and you and me sound so much better than that band, Andre ."

Andre pulled her into his arms ." We could shake this party up, Tori ."

" We could ," grinned Tori as they swayed together to the music ," except Jade might kill us . I think we could only get away with singing a number at a fancy party if this was Smash ."

She rested her head against his shoulder , happy ." I love you , Dre ."

Andre tilted her chin up and stared into her beautiful brown eyes ." I love you too, baby , but what's going on in that head of yours ?"

" I am so so happy that we're together, Andre , but I feel like we should be doing something to help out Cat and Robbie " admitted Tori, worriedly ," I Haven't even seen Cat since she got here . I should have believed her when she kept insisting that Carly was into Robbie but it just seemed so crazy …I couldn't believe it and it was true ."

" Who would have thought it ? " agreed Andre, smoothing her brown curls .

" Should we be helping them instead of enjoying ourselves , Andre ?" asked Tori , torn.

" Robbie is probably off licking his wounds and lil Red must be hiding somewhere I figure ," decided Andre ," I think we should let them be for now . "

He kissed the shell of her ear. " You going to talk to me about why your still wazzed off at your sister or are you just not going to talk to her for the rest of our stay ?"

" I'm good with not talking to Trina " insisted a firm Tori , holding onto him for support ," Andre , don't give me that look ! Trina cannot be in love with Spencer ! This is the most insane thing she has ever done and the whole thing is nuts ! "

" Isn't that love though, Tor ?" Andre was gentle ," it makes you do the wacky . Did you know that Burf had bets going that I wouldn't take you back after the Beck incident ? "

Tori gaped at him and punched his shoulder ." He did not ! I didn't hear a thing about it ! "

Then as if materializing out of thin air, Burf and Sinjin poked their heads in between the couple to contribute their input .

" It's true ," Burf took a large bite of a meatball ," there was even a 2 % margin on you and Beck hooking up then Jade and Andre getting together out of revenge . "

" No ! " Tori shook her head ," How did I not know about this ?"

" You live in your own little Tori world " offered Sinjin , helpfully ," when Andre didn't find another girl in a week , we called it that he still loved you ."

Andre fixed him with a look ." Think you guys have said enough now "

" Always glad to help , Andre ," Sinjin winked at Tori," come on, Burf, I see some lovely ladies by the punch bowl to intrest in our ways …"

" Did you bring the sock pockets , Sinj?" asked Burf as he followed his friend.'

" Can we please not have anymore drama between us ? I think I've had enough drama to last a lifetime , Andre ," begged Tori, chuckling lightly ," I'm happy ."

Andre pressed a smoldering kiss against her mouth ." You like a little drama ."

" Just enough to make things fun " Tori wound her arms around his neck," and I'm just worried about Trina . Outside of her obsession with Mark Macallum and her crush on Beck, I don't think she has ever been in love before . She might get hurt ."

" Maybe but it could be good for her ," suggested Andre ," you were spazzed when I kissed you at first . Or did you forget about that ? Yeah its weird that Trina is in love with the dude she hit but its even weirder that he seems to be just as crazy about her so I say just let them be in love and be happy . "

" She's my sister ! You know Trina messes everything up ! "

" Maybe Trina wont mess this up ," tried Andre ," look all I know is she was pretty vocal to me about winning you back so how about you cut your sister some slack. Let her enjoy being happy . Try being happy for her ."

" Why do you always have to be right , Andre ?" pouted Tori, hiding her face in his shoulder then meeting his gaze again ," argh ! Fine, I'll be happy for Trina "

" Power of Andre " he flashed her an irrestible grin and spun her around the floor .

" Wanna go find out what kind of music programs they have at Nada ?" asked Tori, who noticed that Beck was interrogating the woman already it would seem .

" I thought we agreed we want to stay in California " brought up Andre , curiously .

" Oh, we are but it could be fun just to see if its all Broadway and stuff " Tori grabbed his hand and began to tug him over ," besides Beck looks really bored ."

" Why do I let you talk me into these things , Tor ?" grumbled a smiling Andre .

" You love me "

*************************HAF*******************************************

Cat was terrified and lonely .

She had found a bench hidden on the other side of the building and was sitting cross legged on it , skirt pulled over her knees , and praying and hoping that Robbie would find her but it had been over an hour . Still no Robbie .

Guess he was really furious at her this time .

What if he wanted to break up with her ?

" Cat , there you are ," Jade reappeared in front of her ," I have been looking all over the place for you. You're really ruining my night here , you know ."

" Sorry , Jade ," Cat's voice was small ," you can go back inside . I'm fine here ."

Jade sat down beside her ." Have you talked to Robbie ?"

God, she so didn't want to do this ! She should have made Tori be the one to tell Cat the truth ..actually Robbie needed to be the one out here being honest .

Cat played with the hem of her skirt ." I haven't seen Robbie ," muttered Cat ," I'm afraid …..what if he's with Carly ? He's certainly not trying too hard to find me ….he always finds me . "

Tears tracked down her face but Cat didn't even care . It wasn't as if she had any intention of going inside and join the party anyhow when her relationship was falling apart .

" Robbie is my Prince Charming , my knight in shining armor ," murmured Cat , rubbing her heart which ached painfully ," you know how everyone is talking about the future ? "

" What about the future , Cat ?" She was afraid she didn't want to know this and was right .

" I want to marry Robbie and have a family together " admitted Cat ," he's my one , my always . I've known for a while now but I have been afraid to tell him ."

Oh crap .

" You might want to change your mind about all that, Cat, because Rob fell off the damn horse and got busted up " remarked jade , trying to be mindful of Cat's tender heart ," or he will be really busted up when I'm through with him."

" You've seen Robbie ? "

" Oh yea, I saw him alright ," stated Jade ," Cat, you don't feel like fainting . Right ?"

Cat frowned and turned wide brown eyes upon her ." Why would I faint ?"

" The thing is ..I saw Robbie ," dropped Jade , " he was kissing Carly "

In that instant , in that moment, Cat shattered .


	16. Chapter 16

Robbie kissed Carly.

Cat clutched at her heart which felt as if had been shattered like shards of broken glass all around her as she tried to make sense of how this could have even happened .

Robbie loved her . She loved him.

They loved each other and she had thought that they were happy .

How could he kiss another girl ?

Anger and jealousy tried to push through the hurt but it was still strong and Cat felt as if she couldn't breathe . She felt moisture on her cheeks and stared wordlessly at her best friend still trying to process why she had to hear this from Jade .

" Cat " Jade placed a hand on her wrist ," Cat , say something ."

" It's alright , Jade ," managed Cat, chewing her bottom lip, worriedly ," you can go back inside now . I ..I really need to be by myself ….."

" You aren't alright ! Shapiro is so dead ! I am going to kill him for you "

Cat shook her head , sadly ." Please don't hurt Robbie …."

Jade was furious and beyond pissed ." No ! Come on, Cat, the asshole cheated on you! Robbie deserves whatever torture I can come up with ….."

" Please, don't , Jade ," Cat's voice was low ," for me …"

Robbie heard Cat first and nodded to himself ( he should have known she would have found a quiet spot away from people to hide ) , awkwardly stuffing his hands in the pockets of his pants , and knew he had to stop being a coward and fix this mess that he had made .

He had messed up big time with the whole Carly thing - his instincts had been hinting that the girl was flirting with him but Robbie had chosen to ignore it instead .

" Cat " Robbie made his presence known ," sweetie , can we talk ?"

He tried to make her look at him but Cat refused to meet his gaze but Jade fixed him with a look that said she would squash him like a bug and kill him .

" Walk away from her , Robbie …" threatened Jade , protecting the fragile girl .

Robbie swallowed the lump in his throat but held his ground, imploring to Cat instead.

" I just want to talk to my girl, Jade "

Cat lifted her big brown eyes and nodded ." Jade , can you leave us alone ."

" Cat ," Jade was weary ," you shouldn't ..fine but I'll be inside if you need me ."

Cat managed a tentative smile ." Thanks , Jade , but Robbie and I do need to talk ."

Giving Robbie one of her most evil smiles , a reluctant Jade left the couple alone .

Cat stood , arms at her sides, brown eyes shimmering with tears , mascara running down her cheeks , and all of her emotions on display across her face for him to read .

" Am I still your girl, Robbie ?"

Robbie moved towards her , wanting to take her in his arms, and feeling as he had turned the world they knew off kilter because of one stupid moment of weakness .

A moment that he realized instantly and felt the rise of panic of what this would ..what it could do to him and Cat . It terrified him more than Jade West ever could.

" How could you ask me that ? Of course your still my girl "

He tried to reach for her but Cat sidestepped him, not wanting to be touched .

" Are you going to tell me that you kissed Carly or are you going to lie to me , Robbie ?"

Her voice nearly broke but she needed to hear the truth from him so that she could try to make some sense of it , try to understand it . Understand Robbie .

" It wasn't like that, Cat ! I ..I ..I didn't kiss her ! " He felt sick to the very depths of his stomach and wanted desperately to fix them.

" NO ! Jade saw you, Robbie ! " accused Cat , her hand flying across his face on its own violation ," How can you lie to me ? We've always been honest with each other ! "

Robbie felt the sharp sting of the slap and took it , knowing he deserved it for hurting her .

" I'm not lying, Cat ! I don't know what Jade saw but I swear that I didn't kiss Carly ! She tried to kiss me but I didn't let her …I pulled away from her . I wouldn't do that to you! You have every right to be angry at me because I was such a jerk to you but I'm not lying about this " swore Robbie , taking her hands in his and relaxed a second when she didn't yank them away or try to slap him again .

Her voice was low and sad ." You thought about it ," Cat's voice cracked ,slightly ," I saw how you looked at her tonight . I thought I could be mature about you flirting with her even though I want to rip her eyes out of her sockets but this is different . Your ..your attracted to Carly, Robbie ."

Robbie winced, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and knew he owed it to her to be honest even though it would only hurt them more . Hurt her more .

" Okay so maybe there was a little attraction to Carly ," admitted Robbie, watching as the color drained from her face ," I don't know . I mean, I wasn't even certain she was flirting with me ..I thought she was just being extra nice to me since I saved her from falling ."

Cat stopped twisted her hair to stare at him. " You saved her , Robbie ," muttered a confused Cat ," I don't understand . When was Carly falling off something ?"

" It was a while ago," explained Robbie , matter of fact ," she was nailing part of the icarly set at the festival when Andre and I were on our way to get supplies . Carly lost her footing and I caught her … honestly, Cat, I just thought she was grateful I caught her."

Cat smacked his arm, hard ." You kept a secret from me ? Robbie , you know how much I hate secrets ! You didn't feel like you could tell me about this …..and I'm the one who is jealous and overreacting ! "

" I was wrong ," Fear and his own insecurities invaded Robbie's senses as he tried to reach for Cat, holding her arms , pleading with her ," I don't do good with flirting situations but I never let her believe I was into her . You have to believe me, Cat ! "

" We fell in love while you were with Roxanne , Robbie " Cat's voice was quiet , cracking slightly ," it could happen to you again ."

Robbie shook his head and brushed a red strand of hair from her eyes, carefully .

" No, " insisted Robbie , afraid of what she was thinking ," Cat, I am not in love with Carly. I know I handled breaking up with Roxanne all wrong and I dragged my feet and I was a coward but none of that or this changes how I feel about you ."

She let out a little sob and backed away from him. " First my parents hide things from me about my brother and now you, Robbie ! I'm tired of it ! I have all of these plans for us …things I want for us that I've been afraid to tell you but now I don't know how I feel about anything anymore ."

He felt cold all of the sudden. " What does that mean , Cat ?"

Her brown eyes were filled with tears ." I need time to think by myself, Robbie "

******************************HAF***************** ************************

Meanwhile at the Shay apartment , Spencer had his arms wrapped around Trina as they sat together on the couch attempting to discuss their future and her grand ideas about them. He was trying to have a clear head about the whole thing because as much as he loved the woman, she steamrolled over everything when she got excited about things .

" I know there are some obsycles you have about us being together , Spencer," brought up Trina, resting her legs over his ," but I have thought about them. I did some research last night and its still cheaper for me to live with you than if I found my own apartment ."

" What about college, Trina ? It really wasn't my thing but that doesn't mean that it isn't yours and you would hate me if you let it go because of me ," replied a practical Spencer ," and not to mention your parents blaming me for it."

Trina played with the hair at the nape of his neck." Yes, I got into a few cool colleges in California and Florida ," admitted Trina ," but I don't even know if I want to go . I could take some courses at the college here while I look for work or online ..…."

" I also made some calls, did some research online for interesting jobs here that are suited for my talent," continued Trina, before he could cut her off about rushing into things anymore," I know Seattle is hardly L.A. but there are some pretty styling boutiques in this town. As you can tell by now, I know and adore fashion ."

" You want to sell clothes and stuff now ? Trina, I thought you were set on becoming a model or an actress " He was trying not to be the selfish one here because he wanted her to be happy and the reality was that he was more than a bit terrified about her moving in with him but he also wanted it equally as much," I don't want you to throw away all of your dreams for me. We can figure something out if you want to go back to California …"

Trina let that roll around in her mind because it was true but how often did true love actually hit a person ?

In her experience , it wasn't very often and she wasn't about to let go of her love immediately after she had finally found it by rushing back to her life in L.A.

Her life wasn't so great anyhow and now she had her chance to make it right for her with the perfect guy who loved her . It kind of wazzed her off that he was focusing on all the negatives before they even moved in together but she also knew this relationship was brand new with him too . Living together was a huge, big deal.

He had been unlucky in love in the past too.

" I want to manage someone who sells clothes but a foot in the door is a step to a paycheck to help with my share of our expenses " said Trina, proudly .

Spencer leaned his head back and chuckled, lightly , before drawing her into a searing kiss .

" We should probably talk to your parents together about our plans ," replied Spencer , making a face as if in pain," and hope my dad doesn't think that I've gone crazy and that yours don't arrest me ."

" Dad will be happy for me , Spencer . Trust me, I'm his favorite daughter ."

" What about your Mom ? She'll hate me ?"

" I don't care what Mom thinks about our relationship though yeah, she will probably hate you so she can tell Dad I told you so " shrugged Trina, trying not to care about her moms opinion about Spencer or her decisions with her life .

Spencer was wary . He knew her parents marital problems bothered her more than she let on.

" You sound like you care, Trina, and you should ," Spencer rubbed the tension in her neck , heard her sigh and start to relax ," I wish my mom was alive …I mean, she would have loved you. She would have encouraged us …"

Trina smiled, cupped his cheek ." Really ?"

His smile was nostalgic as he thought of his mother and imagined her eyes crinkling around the corner and the warm smile of hers ( his sister had her smile) and knew in his heart that she would have really liked Trina Vega .

His mother had wanted for her children to be happy and find love .

" Yea she would have ," reassured Spencer, kissing her temple ," and keep on reminding me that your Dad wont have me arrested , honey ."

She laughed and rolled her eyes upwards ." Dad just likes to threaten mine and Tori's boyfriends ..it's the whole cop thing . He gets his kicks that way …"

Enough about my family , Socko was happy for us ," Trina almost lost her train of thought when her cell phone blared loudly alerting her of a text ,"I really felt like he was genuinely happy that we are together, Spenc"

" We've been friends a long time " told Spencer , " who's texting ? Tori ?'

" No, Tori's at some festival party thingie with her friends ," Trina read the text ," Oh my God! I think you need to be the big brother and have a talk with your sister about destroying happy couples lives ! "

She swung her legs off of his lap, nearly kicking him in the stomach with her heels, as she stood up and reached for her purse, glad to be needed .

" There's been some sort of drama with your sister being a grunch and planting her lips on Robbie at the party ! I've got to go pick up Cat and pack her bags …naw, Tori can do that later and I'm just going to go get Cat now ."

Spencer stood, puzzled by her spiel and tried to make some sense out of it .

" Trina, " cut in Spencer ,firmly ," insulting my sister is just going to cause us to fight ."

" I wouldn't if she hadn't just sunk her claws into Robbie ," declared Trina, dropping a kiss across his mouth," why ? I don't know all of the details just yet but it can't be a good thing . Do you want me to have a heart to heart with Carly when I get back ?"

" I'll talk to Carly ! Call me later and give me the deets ! " hollered Spencer as she blew him a kiss and was gone ," oh, I need to find a bumper ! I have the best idea for a new sculpture ! "

******************************HAF***************** *********************

" Are you breaking up with me ?" asked Robbie , grabbing her hand as if to stop her from running from him," Cat, we can work this out ! Please don't …"

She touched his cheek, her own heart twisting as she recognized the anguish in Robbie's eyes were surely the same in her own but knew she wouldn't be able to think straight about them if she allowed him to hold her .

Everything always felt right and safe in his arms and nothing was like that right now .

" No," murmured Cat, softly ," I..I don't want to break up with you ..I just need time to think about everything . I cant do that at Carly's…I should have moved out of there when I thought she was flirting with you in the first place because I haven't been comfortable there ."

" Honey, you don't have the money for a hotel ," said a frantic Robbie ," where will you go ? I can get you a room someplace ….and I don't know how safe is it for you to stay all by yourself in Beck's Rv ."

" I can handle this myself, Robbie ," Cat dropped her hand ," I'm staying with Trina ."

" Trina ?"

Cat picked up her purse and began to walk away from him." I sent a text to Jade and Tori telling them where I'll be at and they can bring my luggage to me . Please , Robbie, just let me have a few days to myself so I can figure us out …"

Robbie followed her , desperately afraid he was losing her ." I need you, Cat "

" I need you too, Robbie , which is why this hurts too much ," Cat stopped suddenly, pressed her lips to his in the merest of kisses as their tears mingled together ," I love you but you need to figure out if I'm really the girl you want to be with ."

" Its always been you, Cat ! Only you , sweetheart " swore Robbie as Trina pulled up at the curb , glowered at Robbie as Cat hopped in the car then she drove off leaving him , helpless and empty .

" What just happened here ?" Robbie asked himself , watching Cat from the distance with his heart heavy and tears in his eyes .

" You blew it big time, You spazz, " Rex answered in his head ," didn't I tell you, Rob, that you couldn't handle a real relationship with the redhead without blowing it ."

" Shut up ! " screamed Robbie, forcing the dead dummy out of his brain, and clutching at his curls , ignoring the strange looks from the passerby at the party .

Robbie took a breath and let it out ." I need to fix this ..I need Andre and Beck to tell me how I can fix this ."

Freddie heard his friend before he saw him and walked over to join him. " Robbie, man, you okay ? Where is Cat ?"

" Cat left with Trina ," admitted Robbie ," I botched things up badly with her, Freddie . I ..its my own fault ..I just didn't want to see my attraction to Carly until it was too late and I hurt my girl . She cant break up with me ! I love her ! I don't know if I can go back to being without Cat! "

" Why aren't you running after Cat instead of telling me about it, dude ?"

Robbie let out what might have been a whimper and gestured towards the empty street and the fact that he could no longer even see the taillights of Trina's car anymore.

He gripped his curls, tugged on them as if the pain would help him think straight, then dropped his hands to the side , afraid .

" Cat wants to be alone " Robbie began to pace across the lawn ," God, what if she thinks about it and decides that she doesn't want to be with me ? I am an idiot ! Why..why didn't I tell her when I caught Carly from falling off that stupid ladder ?"

His friend gaped unbelievably at him." Dude , you never told Cat about that ? Man, if I had done something like that and let Sam find out on her own, I would be toast. "

" Freddie " glared a stressed and freaked out Robbie ," you're not helping me ! "

The tech nerd was sheepish ." Sorry , " said Freddie, carefully," you know , Sam might be alright with me saving someone ..like Carly but if I hid it then she'd more than likely give me a royal fizz bin and a beating with the butter sock …just for keeping it from her ."

" I wasn't hiding anything from Cat ! ' Robbie sighed, heavily, " I really should have listened to Andre's advice ."

" Never keep secrets from your girlfriend " Gibby piped in as he rounded the corner of the building, hands tucked in his khaki pockets, and a frown between his eyes .

" No chizz " Robbie groaned and dropped on the ground, dejected .

" You know this night sucks " said a morose Gibby, still reeling from the terrible changes in Carly and wanting to do something about it himself," its been pretty bad ."

" It's terrible " agreed Freddie, joining them on the other side of the bench," I should have listened to Sam because obviously Robbie is more than foreign bacon .."

_HAF_

" Carly ! Carly ! Carly, will you stop running " shouted Sam, catching up with her best friend in an empty alcove off the main banquet room ," I swear if you don't stop this stupid chizz right now, I am going to whack you upside the head with my butter sock "

Carly turned around, face flushed , and hope in her eyes as she removed a stiletto and rubbed her foot .

" You wouldn't hit me " She knew that Sam was mad at her but when the love of her life was within reach, Carly wasn't as phased as she might have been .

She rubbed her foot and let out a sigh," I don't know how anyone can wear these things ! I feel like I'm going to teeter toddle ….."

Sam narrowed her eyes and lowered the butter sock. As tempting as it , she could never hit her best friend , even though she would like to knock the sense right back into her with the butter since the normal way was getting her nowhere except a headache .

" No, but you know, I really ought to ," called out Sam, " Jade and I saw what went down on the patio with you and the nerd, Carly. Are you happy now ? Cat's probably broken up with Robbie because of you and having attacks and stuff ….."

" I told you and Freddie I was done fighting with you ! For your information, I am very happy about it ! I have wanted nothing more for Robbie to break up with her since we got reacquainted this summer ," Carly slid her foot back in her shoe and lowered her voice , not wanting to make a scene and get her skit disqualified from the festival," You saw Robbie almost kiss me so now you can see with your own two eyes that he wants to be with me too, Sam ! I didn't make up the sparks between us , its real …"

Sam was tired of the fighting ." So you're okay with breaking them up so you can have the dude ? I know you've been having a rough spell between the boyfriends but I never expected this from you…and for the record, Cat is a nice girl and she really loves Robbie. "

" They have nothing in common ," stated Carly, firmly ," I cant even imagine that she is going to go to college or anything. And she really isn't the brightest light in the harbor , if you know what I mean, so, I'm sure in the long run I am doing them both a favor. I don't even see what Robbie sees in her in the first place ….."

She ignored the slight twinge of guilt that was trying to push into her system by telling herself that all was fair in the game of love and war. Not that this was a war but close enough and adjusted the neckline of her dress, feeling more exposed now that she was actually in public. It had gotten Robbie to notice her more but she felt embarrassed in the slinky gown and the layers of mascara gunking up her eyelashes was bugging her too.

" Did I miss something for real here ? What exactly did Brad text you about that has turned you into this boyfriend stealing wannabe gank ? I didn't think you were in love with the guy ….not so much that he did this chizz to your heart and I'm just now seeing it "

Carly was startled by the mention of her ex-boyfriend and felt a prickle of tears behind her eyes . A text from him out of the blue might have been nice instead of hearing nothing from him after his move …as if they had never dated or shared what could have been the start of a real relationship but none of that Sam needed to know .

If only she had mattered that much to him…to any of the guys that she had dated .

Was she so difficult to love ?

Blowing out a breath and trying to slip back into her tough girl façade, Carly shook out the depressing thoughts and tried to dismiss her best friend instead .

" This has nothing to do with Brad ! Why don't you go find Freddie and leave me alone " demanded Carly, marching off to the bathroom to think the night through and send a discreet text to Tori about Cat and hoping the Vega girl would tell her .

" Should have used the butter sock to knock the sense back into her skull " Sighing and at a loss at what she could do that didn't involve violence, Sam headed back into the party for some tacquitoes and to find her boyfriend .

_HAF_

" Jade ," Beck handed his girlfriend a glass of punch and placed a protective arm around her waist ," there you are . This is Ms. Tonkin " he nodded to the woman in front of him who was dressed in a flashy gold dress and wore an elegant updo and was currently taking notes while they talked ," She is in charge of the theatre department at the university of Buffalo in New York. She's been telling me all about the great acting classes among other things the school has to offer .including going into tech during a play, just like the real thing . Isn't that cool ?"

Jade drained her glass and smiled at the woman." I'm a scriptwriter, director, actress, and I like to be able to produce my own work , Ms. Tonkin ."

" You have a lot of ambition, Ms. West ," Phoebe Tonkin looked up from her notes ," I like that and your very handsome boyfriend ." Beck sent her a charming smile ," I like that in young people and not being all about the fame is also a big plus in my book especially in this day and age of Splash face ."

" Fame is good but I don't need to be on the Platinum music Awards either ," remarked jade , enjoying her own little dig at Tori and ignoring the warning look from her boyfriend ," I have to be honest here , I like what Seattle has to offer me and its not all conservative and stuffy like NYADA . How is it at Buffalo ?"

" Jade , you could listen before you interrogate the woman " hissed Beck, quietly .

" Just asking some questions , Beck ," said jade , politely as she glanced around the room looking for Robbie ," you know, gotta think of the big picture and what I want and we both want for that. So, Ms. Tonkin, my boyfriend here is an amazing actor and loves to sink his teeth into some serious drama . "

Beck managed a tight smile and his gaze slanted her way. " What is the matter with you ?'

" You would know if you answered my text " muttered Jade under her breath, not able to concentrate on the play or the mucky mucks when her friends may have just broken up ," Robbie kissed Carly and I had to tell Cat . The girl is a heartbroken mess and I need to murder Rob like I should have in the first place " _

Beck glanced apologetically at the woman. " Excuse us, Ms. Tonkin ."

He took Jade's elbow and led her a few feet away . " Robbie did what ?"

" He kissed Carly ," said Jade through clenched teeth ," You know I actually gave him the benefit because I thought he really loves Cat but he just went and stomped on her heart. I shouldn't have listened to Cat when I wanted to kill him the other day , he doesn't deserve any mercy ."

" Babe, do you even know Rob's side of the story ?"

" I don't need to know that pathetic cheaters side of the story to murder him , Beck "

" I just cant believe that Robbie would throw everything he has with Cat down the drain by kissing another girl " replied a practical Beck, who knew that his geeky friend was as equally sensitive as Cat and as deeply in love as well.

" I saw him kiss the grunch with my own two eyes , Beckett " said an aggravated Jade , sending out texts to both Tori and Andre who were across the room .

" Damn " muttered Beck, under his breath," okay, so where are Cat and Robbie ?"

" I don't know where that lying skunbag is but Cat said she had Trina pick her up ," said Jade , glancing at the theatre rep with trepidation ," God, I don't want to blow off this deal but I can't let Cat deal with this chizz with just Trina ….."

" Everything alright, you two ?" asked Ms. Tonkin , curiously .

" Yeah, " smiled an amiable Beck, " I think that Cat will be alright with Trina for a while . It couldn't hurt to hear about what the university of Buffalo has to offer us …"

" I think Cat needs me more " declared Jade, making a snap decision then turning to address the woman," Ms. Tonkin , Beck and I want to hear about how cool a college Buffalo is and if it has what we're looking for cause we're both interested in it. The thing is that there's been an accident and our friends need us so could we rain check this talk ?"

Beck narrowed his eyes at her . " Accident, Jade ."

" There will be when I'm finished burning Robbie like I burned his puppet " muttered Jade , under her breath .

" An accident ," repeated an alarmed Ms. Tonkin," what kind of accident ? "

" A really , really bad one " informed jade , motioning their friends over with a nod .

" Of course ," the college rep was understanding ," I look forward to seeing Love's Lament and I will be around the festival all this week so there is plenty of time for us to continue this conversation later ."

" Thanks so much " smiled Beck, relieved that this wasn't a strike against them.

" Thanks " Jade acknowledged her with a curt nod and strode towards Andre and Tori , who were rushing forward as if the campus was on fire ," Vega, call your sister and check up on Cat ! I cannot believe she would call Trina than me…."

" What the chizz do you mean , Jade, " asked Andre, waving his phone at her ," who did ya see Robbie kiss ? Don't know why he would kiss anyone besides Cat in the first place ….."

" Carly " Jade sent him a look that had Andre shutting up fast ," Sam and I saw them . So we need to find him so I can rip his eyeballs out of the sockets and feed them to him ."

" You don't need to kill Robbie, jade " pointed out Tori answering her phone ," Trina took Cat back to the hotel with her . "

" How is the girl doing ?" inquired Andre , concerned .

" Been crying for an hour " Tori put the phone down," we should go check up on her ."

" Not until I murder Robbie ," jade searched the room with her eyes ," then we can go."

" Hey guys ," Freddie and Sam joined the group," if you're looking for Shapiro, he and Gibby took a cab back to the Bushwell . Robbie's awfully messed up…"

" Where's the gank, Puckett?"

" Hiding from me which is kind of a good sign ," admitted Sam," I don't know how much of the chizz that she told me she actually bought herself this time so if she's hiding from me and Fredwad then she's feeling some guilt about this crap."

" Are you sure she's hiding ? " asked a dubious Freddie, glancing at his girlfriend .

" Have you seen her come out of the bathroom ?"

" No "

" She's been in there for twelve minutes and it doesn't take her that long to pee or remove mascara ," informed Sam, cutting to the chase," hiding out from us until Carls figures out if she wants to ride with us or risk calling Spencer to pick her up and get grounded for dressing like a gank."

" Fine," Jade let out a low growl of annoyance ," don't be giving Robbie the heads up about running from me. I'm a lot faster at running than he is and he will die ."

" Beating up Robbie isn't the answer to everything, Jade ' remarked Tori, earning her a filthy look which she was used to by now and promptly ignored her .

" Fine then I think that grunch needs a new haircut " Jade pulled out her scissors which Beck took from her ," Dude , my scissors! "

" You're not cutting Carly, West " warned Sam, taking a step forward and measuring her .

Tori stepped in the between them and held her hands out as if to calm them down .

" Look , you guys, fighting over who to beat up isn't helping this situation ," she reminded them," Beck, why don't we get out of here and Beck can drop off up at the hotel so we can check up on how Cat is handling this whole thing ."

" Beck and I will have another talk with Robbie " suggested Andre , helpfully .

" You guys do that ," Sam eyed the buffet table with love and appreciation noting it had a lot of her favorite foods ," we'll check out some tackitoes and wings while we wait for Carly to show her face again then we'll work on her ."

The group separated , weaving thru the throng of festival participants and partygoers , intent on just getting back to the RV when Ian Reardon caught sight of Jade and grabbed her upper arm, stopping her .

" Leaving so soon, Jade ? It's barely nine oh clock and I haven't even had a chance to talk to you more about my thoughts on your rehearsal the other day ."

She shook off his arm and took a step back, her skin crawling from his touch. She so didn't need this creepy old man chizz right now and wasn't in the mood for it either .

" If you still want that arm, you'll let go of me before I make you scream like a little girl "

" Sorry ," Ian dropped her arm with a casual shrug ," I merely wanted to chat about the new Roland and Ana love scene that I was lucky enough to catch the other night when I stuck my head in the door for a peek ."

" You got lucky because I took it out ," quipped a bored Jade ," I'm going now ."

" She's exciting " muttered Ian to himself , took a drink of his wine , and watched as the beautiful young woman strode purposely outside and lifted his eyes to collide with angry dark eyes that belonged to her boyfriend .

" Jade is very exciting ," Beck fought to keep his temper in check and resist the urge to punch the smug man in the face for coming onto his girlfriend," and talented . "

He bit the inside of his jaw and ignored the text message buzzing in his pocket .

" I know what you tried to pull with Jade , Ian " Beck's voice was low and bordering on menacing as he challenged the teacher to correct him," and I'm hazarding a guess she isn't the only student you've tried to get to sleep with you. "

" Ah so is this the jealous boyfriend act, Mr. Oliver ? " Ian chuckled, amused by the young man's nerve .

" Keep away from Jade ," threatened Beck, drawing it out and clenching his fists," if I find out you tried something else with my girlfriend , I will make sure you wont be able to find work at an In and out Burger ."

" Cute ," scoffed Ian ,rolling his eyes in disgust ," but the idle threats of a teenager don't scare me, Mr. Oliver . "

Beck stepped forward, his eyes darkening and a slight curve of his lips twisting in a hard line .

" Touch Jade West again and I will kill you "

Satisfied that he had taken care of the love of his life , Beck left the party .


	17. Chapter 17

Hey folks, thanks for all of the amazing reviews on the last chapter which was lovely especially since I had so many issues writing it before the characters took control.

Always happy when the characters take the reins from me.

Special thanks to my best friend Chell who is convinced this is finally the genre I'm supposed to be writing in and believing in me and my writing even in those times when I might not be .

Also to ExpressionsOfawriter, MelsGvardo, TheWrtrInMe, Kristin, and GleekMeg for all their encouragement, help, and so much more. Thanks and love you, guys !

Disclaimer : Sadly , I still don't own Victorious .

" **Robbie, you mustn't leave me ," pleaded Cat," I am so frightened without you." **

" **Once the war is over, I will come back and we can finally be married ," declared Robbie," I love you so much, Caterina. Never forget how much I love you." **

" **I love you, too " added Cat, eyes downcast, shyly.**

" **Good, good ," urged Sikowitz ," more.." **

" **Don't ever forget me…our love ," said Robbie, pulling her into his arms, tightly.**

**Robbie bent and captured her lips in a kiss that took them both under, drowning in the sea of all of the emotions swimming in his veins for her .**

**It was warmth, heat, need , and tenderness and letting out a sigh against his lips, Cat wound her arms around his neck and returned his kisses, eagerly .**

**Cat **sighed, heavily, pulling her knees up to her chest, and wrapping her arms around them as she thought of the stage kiss that had been so real between her and Robbie during that romantic improv in Sikowitz's class and had made her toes tingle .

It had also opened her eyes up to the possibility of her and Robbie as more than just close friends .

It had seemed so long ago and the start of their new relationship -well, it had mainly been them trying to figure things out and falling in love.

Cat felt wetness on her cheek and brushed away the tears, sniffling, and trying to focus through the hurt long enough to listen to what her friends had to say except it seemed like jade and Tori were mainly arguing over things .

" If any of you had listened to me in the first place about that gank, we wouldn't be doing this ," argued a pissed off Jade ," I knew something had to be wrong with Carly when she was making goo goo eyes at Shapiro ."

" This isn't about you, Jade ," tossed back Tori, shooting a worried look at Cat who was curled up in the middle of the bed, quietly ," we are here because Cat needs us ."

Trina put down her cell phone and moved between the two frenemies as if she could actually make them listen to her .

" Spencer is retrieving his sister from the party ," stated Trina, with a nod," he will get to the bottom of her ganky behavior and put a stop to this right away ."

" That grunch isn't going to listen to her brother ," Jade tossed her oversized purse on the floor ," and Puckett is wimping out because its her best friend which means its up to us to make things right ."

" You are not going to torture Robbie , Jade," yelled back a frustrated Tori who could only imagine what might have actually happened ," it still could have been an accident ..kiss between him and Carly. Those things do happen , you know ….."

Jade bit the inside of her jaw and tried to remind herself that they were all past the whole Beck and Tori kissed thing from months ago but one part of her always wanted to react .

" This was no accident ," said Jade ," Rob knew exactly what he was doing ! The asshole , lying skunk bag deserves everything he has coming to him."

" STOP IT! Both of you ! " Cat moved off the bed, head and heart pounding simultaneously ," I cant take you two fighting too ! Just stop it now ! "

" We're done fighting ," Tori approached her friend, worriedly ," Cat, how are you doing ? Not feeling faint …are you ?"

She sent Jade a pointed look as if her best friend would forget about Cat's anxiety .

" My heart hurts really bad ," admitting Cat, who still couldn't seem to get the horrible image of her Robbie kissing Carly out of her mind and it infuriated her ," and ….and I ..I cant just sit here and cry like a silly nilly while Carly tries to take my fella from me ! "

Robbie was her guy, her fella, her man, and no long legged Carly was gonna take him from her !

It made her literally sick in the stomach that Robbie was attracted to another girl but that mainly pissed her off in a way she hadn't ever felt before .

He was a guy and was being a jerk but dammit, Robbie was her jerk !

Growling low in her throat as the anger and the red haze that was jealousy erupted within the gentle Cat, she stomped across the room, a flash of the gank dancing cheek to cheek with Robbie flitting through her mind, and the redhead grabbed the ice bucket and heaved it across the room as hard as she could causing all three girls to duck as it hit the wall and fell to the floor.

" Cat , what the hell are you doing ? " demanded an impressed Jade as the tiny redhead glared at the table lamp as if it had personally betrayed her . This was a side of Cat that she had only had glimpses of and wholeheartedly approved of this new backbone .

" Why are you throwing things at us ? " demanded Tori," This isn't like you."

" Maiming us really isn't going to help Robbie be less of an idiot ," contributed Trina," does this mean that you're going to break up with the moron ?"

Cat stomped her foot and tossed Trina's purse next, feeling better .

" What did my purse ever do to you !" wailed Trina, running across the room to pick it up.

" Robbie is my man ," declared Cat, forcefully ," he is mine . He might be the stupidest , lamest jerk on the whole planet but I love him and that perfect …Carly can't just have him . He might think she is hot but I know that Robbie loves me ! "

" Robbie doesn't deserve you, Cat, " Jade still saw blood and she wanted nothing more than make the nerd pay for hurting her friend ," he is a cheater . Almost kissing her is practically the same as kissing her …you need to break up with him and I will break his spine in half ."

" You need to leave peoples spines alone ! " retorted Tori, who knew first hand that Jade could actually make a person have spine pain from a hug for like two days .

" So are you going to break up with him, Cat ? " interjected Trina ," I mean, I know you have every reason to but it would be such a shame because I know how much you two crazy kids are in love with each other ."

" Shapiro having eye sex with the grunch in front of Cat then almost kissing her is really showing the love to Cat . You don't want to be with that moron anymore, Cat " Jade felt the pain as if it were her own and because it reminded her that it wasn't long ago that she had been trying to come to terms with Beck and Vega locking lips .

She knew totally how devastated that Cat must be feeling right now .

Cat held the glass in her hand, sadly, then dropped it into the trash can and tensed .

She loved Robbie and breaking up was the last thing that she wanted to do .

Arghhhhh this was so hard and she was miserable !

" Do you guys remember the second time that Robbie kissed me in the hall ? I was really starting to fall in love with him but I was soo so scared that he wasn't ever going to break it off with Roxanne ," admitted Cat, going back to the amazing kiss on the stairs and the giddiness she felt in her heart from being with him," I was afraid to ask him to end it with that North Ridge gank and he took forever before he finally did …."

" We tried to get him to text dump her " recalled a helpful Tori, urging Cat away from objects she could continue throwing at them before she got anymore ideas .

" That should have been our first clue about Shapiro right there " said Jade , sending off another round of threatening texts to both Beck and Andre regarding Robbie .

" I wanted to fight for Robbie then but I couldn't be mean ," continued Cat , her hands clenched in fists and a knot in her belly ," I just waited for Robbie to do everything ! I..I don't want to do that anymore ! I tried not being jealous but I suck at it and she still went after my fella as if I wasn't even in the same room ! No more ! "

Tori maneuvered the redhead onto the bed to sit and gave her a weary look ." I'm almost afraid to ask what you mean by that, Cat, and what's with the throwing things all of the sudden ? "

" I 'm…I'm just so mad , Tori," admitted Cat, swallowing her tears and feeling the anger that had been slowly building inside of her and allowing herself to just go with it ," I'm mad at Robbie, I'm mad at myself for doing nothing but crying about every little thing that upsets me , and I'd really like to punch that hussy in the face ! "

" Violence wont solve this whole situation, Cat " reminded Tori, sending her a small smile and noticed that her friend could barely manage one back .

" Violence might do her some good , Tori," gauged Jade , placing a comforting hand on Cat's arm ," she's played the doting girlfriend for Robbie since they got together so I say what the hell, maybe she'll stop crying if she actually does something about this chizz "

" Jade is right ," Cat stood back up and walked purposely across the room , her gaze landing on the coffeemaker which reminded her of her and Robbie's breakfasts at school ," He doesn't want me to be upset or jealous then he tells me he has been attracted to Carly the entire time we've been here ! The big ..fibber jerk ! "

" I think you can use stronger language than that, Cat " encouraged Jade , glancing at her phone and a text from Beck ," the guys are handling Robbie unless you changed your mind and want to go give him a piece of your mind and end things with him."

" She doesn't want to break up with him," reminded Tori, helpfully ," which I personally think is the mature thing to do …."

Trina sat down on the other side of the bed and asked the question none of them broached yet .

" I know this chizz went bad real fast, Cat, but do you trust Robbie ? I mean, he was totally stupid for telling you about his attraction after he kissed the gank but he was honest with you ," said Trina , softly ," most guys wouldn't be . "

" Robbie's never lied to me before either ," Cat yanked the plug out of the clock and bit her lip," breaking up with him will just break both of our hearts . I…I can't ..I don't want to because I know that we can beat this together ."

" Will you at least let me punch the asshole ?" jade wasn't giving up on this either . She knew the fact that Cat never answered the question properly was her way of saying that yes she did still trust him which meant she wasn't breaking up with him .

" Maybe a little punch but you have to promise not to hurt him real bad , Jade ," continued Cat , hurtling the clock at the dresser and **falling apart ," no **bruising him or anything . I might be furious and hurt but it doesn't mean that I can just stop loving him…"

" Fine " relented Jade , understanding that truth more than any of them.

She and Beck had practically written the book about that kind of love .Even through their break up, his dating Kyra, and their feelings resurfacing for each other, they had never stopped loving the other .

Besides I want to punch Robbie first ! " announced Cat, picking up the clock and chucking it on the other side of Tori , it connected with the table and dropped to the floor, breaking the plastic covering as it did so.

Tori removed her hands from her head from where she had ducked in case her friends aim decided to improve and fixed her with a pointed look of exasperation.

" Cat , enough violence ! You'll have to pay for all of these things you keep throwing "

" Sorry , Tori, " muttered a solemn Cat ,wringing her hands together ," I know I do and I will pay for them. It's just that I'm so mad at Robbie …"

" You should let the guy suffer for a while ," suggested Trina , patting Cat's hand ," make Robbie work to prove to you that he's sorry for being a skunk bag and prove himself to you."

" I admit that he was stupid for admitting he's attracted to Carly but I'm sure Robbie is going to do everything to make it up to you, Cat ," said a wry Tori, trying to catch Jade's eye to make sure it was okay to mention the past between them," and I speak from personal experience as we all know."

Cat let out a deep, sad sigh and contemplated what she wanted to do about the situation as well as her relationship with Robbie .She still needed a couple of days to think so she wouldn't do something crazy but it was time for her to do something .

" Robbie needs to show me that he still wants and needs me ," declared Cat, feeling a lot stronger than she had earlier ," and while he is doing that, I am going to do what I should have done in the first place instead of getting jealous ."

Tori winced ," I'm almost afraid to ask ."

" I am sooo done fighting like a lady ," stated a fired up Cat, smoothing her wrinkled skirt with her hands ," the gloves are about to come off, Carly Shay….she's going to have to fight me for Robbie . "

" That is the way that it is going to be because what Robbie and I have is real and special. We're worth fighting for so that is what I am going to do."

" Didn't Carly fight that boxer chick a couple years ago, Cat ?" brought up Jade .

" You're supposed to be on my side, Jade ! I don't care who she fought because I am fighting for the man that I 'm going to marry one day …."

" Do you want us to order some ice cream now, Cat ?" asked Trina, knowingly as she started to order room service then reconsidered as they really didn't need twelve dollar ice cream when she could run to the store for some pints for less .

" Ice cream would be good, Trina "

" I'll go get some and be right back " Trina picked up her purse ," stay strong ."

Cat managed a small smile and hoped that this time she could get things right in her life .


	18. Chapter 18

Hi everyone ! Big thank you to everyone who read and left me such lovely reviews as the previous Cat centered chapter is near and dear to me as in I had been dying for months on end to actually be able to write it . I was beyond thrilled that folks enjoyed it as much as I had a blast writing it .

So now its time for Robbie to face the music and some advice from Beck and Andre .

Hope you enjoy !

Disclaimer : Nope still don't own Victorious .

Robbie was miserable .

The ride from the party to the hotel did nothing to lift his spirits as he relieved every waking moment with Cat in his head and stared quietly at his phone debating on calling or texting to apologize and beg for forgiveness but knew he owed her time .

" I thought we were going back to your Rv, Beck, " brought up Robbie as his friend opened the door to the room that he and Jade shared , shoving him into the room with Andre closing the door behind them," why are we here ?"

" Easy ," answered Beck, tossing his phone on the nightstand ," Jade still wants to kill you and I don't feel like having to repair the door again when she kicks it in…"

Andre glanced down at the disturbing text from Jade then back to Robbie , who looked pathetic .

" Yeah, Jade wants your blood ."

Robbie gulped down the giant sized lump that seemed to be lodged in his throat and sank down on the side of the bed, feeling hopeless and like a total spaz. He hadn't felt this way about himself in awhile but now with Rex taunting him in his mind and the sense of foreboding that he was going to lose Cat, it was at the front of his thoughts .

The Rex in his mind only rubbed salt on his wounds , taunting him , cruelly .

" Told you , spazzy boy, you couldn't have a relationship with a girl . I knew you would mess it up with the redhead cause you aint nothing but a loser ."

Robbie groaned ," NO! STAY OUT OF MY HEAD, REX!"

Beck and Andre exchanged baffled expressions with worried frowns . It was never a good sign when when their friend started talking about his old dummy again especially this time since he was long gone .

" Dude ," asked Andre ," why are you talking about the demon puppet again ?"

Robbie made a pained expression and gripped his curls tightly with his hands as if he could somehow squeeze Rex's voice from his brain .

" He's in my head again, Andre ! Rex is back, I tell you! I can hear him ! "

" Rob," Andre placed a hand on either side of his friends shoulders, firmly ," get a grip! That puppet is long gone because you killed him and he's not coming back …."

" He was right ! I screwed everything up with Cat ! " insisted Robbie , dejectedly .

Beck was calm as always ." You can still fix things with Cat, Rob, and you need to stop freaking out . Jade burned Rex practically down to ash so he's not in your head so let's just talk this chizz out .."

Robbie gulped in a breath, let it back out, and realized that his friends were right , as they were most of the time . It was his worse fear and insecurity that was all tied into his feelings for Cat and the knowing he had handled things all the wrong way.

He shook his head and this time, no Rex, and tried to find the calm center .

" Your both right ," admitted Robbie ," I'm good . No Puppet . I need help though because I don't know what to do ! I can't lose Cat ! Tell me what to do ! "

If anyone knew how to handle girl problems it was Beck and Andre , who Robbie was convinced were experts on the mystery and fascinations of the female .

' I think we need to hear the full story here ," Andre crossed his arms over his chest ," cause I'm thinking you haven't exactly been straight with us about Carly ."

" How much of Cat overreacting was true, Robbie ?" interjected Beck, quietly .

Robbie winced , knowing that they thought of Cat as the sister they never had and were protective of, he paused to collect his thoughts . They weren't good , any way you looked at them , and it was time to fess up .

He choked back a painful sob and began." I'm just terrified of losing Cat and it would be all of my fault. I've been lying …it wasn't exactly a huge lie but not quite a white lie ..are their maybe gray lies ? Fibbing might be more of what I did actually ….."

" I don't care what color the lie was , just spill it, man "

Robbie closed his eyes, an image of Cat's brown eyes shimmering with hurt blinked by, and let out a tired sigh . " You guys know how Cat and I have been getting into little fights ..spats …since she gets crazy jealous for no reason ?"

Both guys nodded, waiting .

" Cat wasn't always overreacting . I mean, at first, it was kinda good for us and the whole jealousy thing but then that time I went to go wake up Cat and Carly was all crying into her cell phone , is it normal for a girl to hold onto you for dear life when she's upset ? I mean, Cat does it to me but we're a couple so that makes it right . Right ? "

" Jade doesn't cry very often ," contributed a thoughtful Beck, " screaming and going into attack mode is how my girl reacts but most girls get emotional ."

Andre rubbed his chin." Tori has a meltdown then she's all good. So your telling us Carly was what …trying to crawl all over you while she was crying and chizz ?"

" See, that's the problem because I'm not sure about that ," confessed Robbie , shamefully ," I mean, its not like have all this experience with girls . Rejection is my middle name except for well, Roxanne and Cat but my ex-evil girlfriend doesn't count and I can never read the signs right with the whole flirting thing but there were some times and some touching ..not bad touching but Carly touching my arm and she may have been coming onto me three times , I think ."

" Dude , you told us it was Cat being crazy ! Have you been flirting with Carly all of this time back ?" demanded Andre , starting to get a bit angry .

Robbie was one of his best friends but Cat was a sweetheart and she didn't deserve this chizz happening to her . Hadn't Shapiro learned anything from his North Ridge experience ?

Robbie paused, unsure. " I don't think so..I mean, the attention felt awesome and all but I thought I made it really clear that my heart only belongs to Cat Valentine."

" You couldn't have been real clear if she kissed you , Robbie " pointed out Beck , trying to read the situation ," and I'm thinking the hot dress and the everything else sexy was aimed to seduce you tonight . The girl is something else ..doesn't feel right to call Carly a gank but she is fully aware of you and Cat being together ."

Andre punched Robbie's arm, hard ." Why in the name of gravy were you thinking back there earlier when your eyes bugged out of your head about Carly looking all hot ! How the hell could you do that with your girlfriend standing right beside you ?-That was a stupid ass thing to do, Robbie ! "

" Ow , Andre ! " whined Robbie , hanging his head ," I don't know what I was doing ! I lost my mind for a minute ! She looked hot with all the ….you could almost see her ..boobs and those long legs and she looked hot …I am a complete moron ! Oh my God it's even worse than that - I'm like one step away from being a total jackass only not the good , romantic type from the chic flick that Cat made me watch when we were almost together but not quite yet . Do you guys get what I mean ?"

Beck responded by punching his other arm in defense of Cat and felt better for doing so .

" You got the asshole part right but what are you talking about ? There are only the one type of asshole and none of it is good ," reminded Beck, slowly ," didn't Andre and I go over all of this stuff with you when you were dating Roxanne ?"

" Kind of but that was a long time ago," defended Robbie ," you guys also acted like girls wouldn't possibly want to flirt with me ! You were wrong about that ! "

" How were we to know the girl was into nerds ? She looks normal "

Robbie groaned and felt tension build behind his eyes ." What do I do ? How do I fix this ? Cat has moved into the hotel with Trina so I don't imagine getting her to meet me at the Bushwell is something she is going to respond too …."

" Unless you just want Cat to hang you up by your toes and kill you " contributed Andre , plopping down in the armchair ," I wouldn't be doing that , Rob ."

Beck was contemplative ." I think you need to end your thing with Carly before that girl gets anymore crazy ideas about you two…."

" There isn't anything between me and Carly ! " insisted Robbie , frustrated .

" The girl obviously thinks that there is so that means you did something " added Andre.

Robbie was pensive and dropped down to sit as well, letting out a heavy sigh.

" I just don't understand ….."

Beck lifted his palms out and tried to explain how scenarios like this played out . Sadly he and Andre had learned the hard way and on more than one occasion giving them a somewhat understanding on not what to do with a flirty girl .

" Girls flirt ," explained Beck as if he was about to launch into a monologue ," this is a fact. We've all seen it and it makes things interesting when we're in relationships ….and you guys know how mad and jealous Jade gets if I even talk to another girl ."

He paused ," Well its not bad with like Cat and Tori but that's an exception to the rule . It used to be fun to make Jade jealous ….but while we were broken up, I realized that even though she always trusted me , our fights weren't about trust ."

" Then why did you fight ? " Robbie was very afraid he'd made Cat lose faith and trust in him . Even before they became a couple, they always had the trust between them .

" Jade is insecure ," answered Beck, simply ," she doesn't trust other girls ."

" He's telling the truth ," offered Andre , tossing his friend a bottle of water ," like there was this one time Tori and I were hanging out at Nozu . We'd only been dating a couple of weeks and so you'd never guess who we happen to run into …"

" Who did you run into , Andre ? How is this helping me get Cat back ?"

" Chill, Robbie , and let me finish ," went on Andre ," so we happen to bump into Sherry , one of my ex-girlfriends . Nothing went on but some small talk but Tori was pissed and I didn't think she was going to let me eat my miso soup ..thought she was going to dump it on my head or do something horrible to Sherry ."

" Girls are insane ," deduced Robbie , deflating ," and I messed up when I didn't reassure Cat earlier that we were good . I have told Carly that I love Cat ! She knows that I don't want her ! Since she knows then why do I have to fix it ? It's Cat that I'm freaking out about here , guys ….come on, throw me a bone or something ."

" You have got to be more firm with Carly that you don't want her ," reminded Beck, " None of that trying to be nice and sensitive to the girl who's wrecked things between you and your girlfriend . You have got to mean business here …."

" No dragging your feet like you did with Roxanne " called out Andre ," Cat might not forgive you this time and you don't want that . "

" I was a coward and a fool ," realized Robbie, rubbing his hands across his face ," and gah ! I'm still one ! How did I not learn my lesson with Roxy ? I have to prove to Cat that she is my world …she means everything to me . I love her more now than I did when I fell in love with her ….I should text her that ."

" Didn't you say Cat asked for some space ? Don't text her , give her time ," said Andre , thinking of his own situation between him and Tori ," sometimes it helps to put things right . Like it did with me and Tori."

Robbie bit the inside of his jaw and contemplated all that they were saying . He needed to stop being afraid and being the coward and find the confident guy that Cat had fell in love with again. Putting all of the blame on her jealousy and overreacting had been wrong especially since he knew how much she had tried to keep her feelings to herself because of the fact. It was time he took some responsibility for his part in their problems .

He and Cat weren't perfect but he still firmly believed they were soul mates .

He thought back to a moment when he knew in his heart that he was fully deeply in love with Cat and that she felt the same way as he did . It was after he and Cat had fought , he had felt horrible , and was trying to understand what had happened between them .

" **Robbie," Cat approached him, twisting her hair, nervously," Can we talk? I just want to say how I am so sorry for calling you a liar yesterday. I was hurt and upset…I shouldn't have said that. I didn't mean it.."**

"I'm **the one who is sorry, Cat ," Robbie moved closer to her on the steps ," I mucked everything up. You know how much it means to me that you took care of me ..cause it meant a lot. I hate arguing with you ..I was a big jerk." **

He **removed his hand from behind his back, holding out a single pale pink rose and handed it to her .**

" Forgive **me, Cat ?" **

" Oh , Robbie," **Moved by the sweet gesture, Cat took the rose with one hand and then wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tight in a hug," of course, I forgive you. This is so sweet of you and kind and…you have to be the most thoughtful guy in the whole world." **

He **slipped his arm around her waist to hold her." I kind of doubt that but I shouldn't have dismissed what you said yesterday either ." **

**She lifted her eyes, brown eyes all soft and wide ." About us, you mean ?" **

" **Yes," acknowledged Robbie, because it had been all he had been thinking about the last few nights," things have..changed between us, Cat . I guess I'm just not real sure why..why did they change ?" **

**Cat considered this , thoughtfully, and nibbled on the side of her lip.**

" **Maybe because I was ….afraid to see you before .." **

**She pressed her forehead against his. " I…I don't know why I never did …Robbie, maybe it's my psychological problems ." **

**Cat laughed, lightly. Hoping the joke would lighten this undercurrent between them .**

" **You don't have psychological problems, Cat " assured Robbie, very quietly .**

**They may as well have been the only two people existing at this moment because neither could see or hear the endless chatter of the halls surrounding them, only each other .**

**He dropped a kiss on her nose. " I've always seen you…" **

" **I know …and I am really happy about it " murmured Cat as their lips met in a gentle kiss. He hesitated only a second as if giving himself time to think about it before deepening the kiss and felt buoyant when she responded eagerly to him.**

" Rob," Andre interrupted his friends contemplation," snap out of it . Checking out of this conversation isn't going to help you figure this chizz out either ."

" I shouldn't have told Cat that I was a little attracted to Carly ," realized Robbie , too late ," don't even say it . I am a moron , got that now . We've always been honest with each other and I felt bad for making her seem like the bad guy..that she was imagining things going on so I told her I did feel attracted to Carly ."

" That's just plain stupid ! You just don't go around admitting that chizz ! It's one thing to look ..that's only natural and the girls do it to but admitting you feel something for another girl is just plain wrong , man "

" I agree with Andre on this one, Robbie ," replied Beck, " it gives girls doubt . This is why Jade goes crazy if I say hi to a pretty girl ….you are lucky Cat didn't end things with you when you told her that ."

" I know ," Robbie blew out a breath ," which is why I am going to tell Carly in no uncertain terms that I'm sorry if I led her on , I was wrong but I have no intention of being with her because I am in love with my girlfriend ."

" That sounds pretty good " agreed Andre ," that might fix one girl problem ."

" What about Cat ? Jade says that she is really hurt and going insane " said Beck," I'm not real sure what the insane thing means but it cant be good ."

Robbie lifted his chin, squared his shoulders, and knew exactly what he had to do .

" I am going to make Cat fall in love with me all over again "


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Nope still don't own Icarly or Victorious .

" OH MY GOD! CARLY SHAY WHAT ARE YOU WEARING ?"

Carly heaved a tired sigh, rolled her eyes upwards, and climbed in the passenger seat of the car, doing her best to ignore the disapproving looks her brother was shooting at her .

It was bad enough that she had to call Spencer to come and pick her up in the first place but she just hadn't been in the mood for more lectures from Freddie and Sam either .

" It's called a dress, Spencer , and will you just shut up and take me home, please "

" When did you buy this dress ? It barely has any material and I can see your…girl parts ..why would you buy a dress like this ? Cover yourself , Carly " Spencer grabbed a blanket from the backseat and tossed it at his sister , who grudgingly accepted it .

" It's just a sexy dress ," replied Carly , crossing her arms over her chest and sulking in the front seat ," I've worn sexy dresses before stop save the lecture ."

Spencer was quiet , contemplative .This wasn't a typical dress for his sister to wear and he couldn't understand why she would have even bought it in the first place .

Something had to be going on in her brain .

" Some might not even call that a dress with the lack of material and the shortness," plunged in Spencer , trying to get down to the bottom of it ," and the ..um, the cleavage. Does this have something to do with why Freddie and Sam couldn't take you home, Carly ?"

She refused to meet her brothers eye, embarrassed now by the rather revealing bodice and still feeling the sting from her fights with her friends . Besides she was really confused by the kiss with Robbie -this whole night hadn't gone anything like she had envisioned !

" It's just a stupid dress, Spencer ! I don't want to talk about it with you ! "

" So we wont talk about the dress ," Spencer switched gears ," how about we talk about how you're going around kissing another girls boyfriend ? "

He was determined to get to the bottom of what was happening with her . He just couldn't put his finger on what the problem could be and if she was fighting with her best friends, it had to be serious .

" My love life is none of your business so stay out of it , Spencer ! "

" Trina tells me that you're trying to break up Cat and Robbie ," continued Spencer , ignoring the filthy looks she was aiming his direction ," I told her that you wouldn't do that kind of that. My sister wasn't a boyfriend stealer …right ?"

She narrowed her eyes . " Figures you would believe that gank over your own sister "

Spencer pulled the car into the parking garage , shut off the engine , parked , and turned to face her .

" Trina isn't a gank ," corrected Spencer," and I never said that I believed her over you. Talk to me, Kiddo . What is going on with you ?"

Carly opened her mouth, considered opening up to her big brother but found herself asking him a question instead .

" How can you suddenly be in love with a girl like Trina ? How is she any different from all the other women you've dated and been in love with ?"

He touched her arm, sent her a warm smile , and tried to find the words to explain it .

" I don't know ," admitted Spencer , honestly ," Trina is so alive and vibrant . I feel like I'm a man with her and it feels like we've known each other forever . I love her so much that it terrifies me that I'm going to screw her life up but I cant imagine not being with her either ..and wow , I still can't believe she loves me back ."

" We don't have luck with love ," muttered a quiet Carly , under her breath ," I wouldn't hold your breath expecting this love affair with Trina to pan out for you ."

Sadness appeared in her eyes and unbidden her mind took her back to four months ago and Brad but before she could relive the memory, Carly pushed back her tears with it and ran out of the garage to the elevator . She so didn't need to be thinking about the past .

What had happened was done with and she didn't want to think about it anymore .

Carly didn't understand why or what made her think about Brad in the first place when she had Robbie .

Robbie was sexy , funny, and super smart and Brad was a jerk.

She brushed at the moisture welling in her eyes and tried to focus on Robbie .

He was so different from the guys she normally went out for and he was the kind of guy she had always wanted , a gentleman .

Carly crossed her arms over her chest and wished the elevator was faster as her mind insisted on taking her back to something she had been trying to repress but it seemed as if the nights events was leaving her frazzled and hardly in control .

************************************************** ***********************Four months ago

Brad slipped his arm around her waist and squeezed her waist as they walked alongside each other in the cool Seattle night air after having a romantic dinner date at the new French restaurant in town . It was just a matter of days before Brad and his family would be moving and so would end their relationship .

It both weighed heavily on their minds .

" I loved the restaurant it was so romantic and the food was amazing, Brad "

" Only the best for my girl ," Brad stopped and turned her in his arms ," Are you positive that you don't want us to try to make things work between us long distance ? It seems like we finally have something good here, Carly, and now I have to leave …."

" I know ," Carly's tone was soft and sad ," but I think we should be practical here . We've only been dating for a while now and the statistics on long distance relationships working out are rare . Especially at our age….and it doesn't seem fair to tie you down to a relationship with me when their might other possibilities for you …."

Brad rubbed his hands down her arms warming her ." I don't want to think of possibilities when I have you in my arms, Carly "

She melted in his arms , almost losing her train of thought as she gazed up at his handsome face . It had been such a long time since she had felt this way about a guy and Brad understood her . Her heart hurt just thinking about him leaving her .

" I'm trying to be mature here , Brad " muttered Carly, leaning into his embrace .

" I love you " Brad admitted , crashing his lips down to hers as Carly just held on for the ride , letting him carry her away with an onslaught of emotions .

" Carly , we are not finished talking ! " Spencer interrupted her reverie as he met her outside of the door to their apartment ," you have never reacted this drastic to anything with a boy before ! This is worse than the time you were sneaking around to date that bad boy behind my back so you might as well fess up ! "

Carly whirled around and glared at him. " Nothing is wrong with me ! Can't a girl just be in love without being accused of being a liar and a gank by the people she loves ?"

Bursting into tears and feeling suddenly very fragile and out of sorts , Carly ran upstairs to her room, slamming the door loudly behind her and falling on the bed , exhausted .

Robbie would make things right in her life .

While she dreamed of sharing smoothies and talking about writing together , a niggling guilt wriggled her conscience reminding her that he still insisted he loved Cat .

Carly wished her conscience would disappear and allow her some happiness .

Her own brother was in love and she deserved to be in love just as much as Spencer .

She sat up and realized she still wore the dress and felt foolish and uncomfortable now , Carly blew out a breath and got up to change into her pajamas and deliberated in calling Sam . She wanted to talk but she didn't know if she could ..or if Sam would understand .

Except that Sam thought she was a horrible gank and things weren't so good between them at the time, though she supposed some of that was her fault but Sam was being too judgmental and weird .

Maybe Tori would understand better than her own friends , if she didn't hate her guts .

Being a bad girl wasn't all it was cut out to be . .

" Robbie, I'm going to kill you with my bare hands " announced Jade as she let herself in the hotel room she shared with Beck and found her boyfriend sitting on the bed watching drag racing on the TV ," where is Shapiro ? Did you and Andre mess him up ?"

" He and Andre went back to the Bensons ," Beck motioned for Jade to sit beside him ," Andre and I gave him hell . Rob knows he screwed up with Cat and he regrets it …how is Cat doing ?"

Jade tossed her purse on the floor , took off her short jacket also on the floor ,and settled in the curve of Beck's arm, getting comfortable . It had been a long couple of hours with Cat .and it felt good to come back to her boyfriend .

She leaned in for a swift kiss , glanced at the loud cars on the TV, and rolled her eyes upwards . .

" You know I hate watching this chizz " pointed out Jade , as if this wasn't already a fact .

He kissed her temple , amused ." It wont kill you and I'm enjoying it ," told Beck, giving her a nudge ," come on, babe, how is Cat doing ? Robbie is afraid that Cat is going to break up with him ….it isn't good ."

" Cat's a wreck but she's funny ," confided Jade ," I tried to get her to dump his lame ass for hurting her and lying to her but she loves him . I don't think anything we said really could get her to change her mind about how she feels about him- she wants to marry him."

" Marriage . Wow ," Beck blew out a breath," leave it to Cat ."

" You know how old fashioned the girl is, Beck, " continued Jade , kicking off her boots," Cat was pissed though ! I have seen her emotional and withdrawn before but never have I seen her like she was tonight .She was throwing things ."

" Cat isn't violent " Beck couldn't believe it . She was the gentlest person he knew .

Jade couldn't help but to grin." Yeah , Cat is pissed and jealous ," informed Jade , happily ," I was really proud of her tonight . I cant wait to see what's she's going to do about Robbie and that gank ! You know, once she got over her crying and throwing things , I realized that Cat has grown a backbone finally ."

" Good " Beck leaned forward to nuzzle her neck," I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to talk to other theatre department college recruiters tonight , babe ."

Jade sighed and ran her fingers through his luxurious hair . " The festival isn't over yet ," muttered Jade , under her breath," we'll have plenty of time ."

Beck lifted his head to gaze at her ." We ?"

Jade wound her arms around his neck and leaned forward to draw her lips across his .

Why did it seem like they hadn't been alone in days ? Oh right because the festival and their friends stupid chizz kept getting in the way of privacy .

However, she wasn't going to let that happen with them tonight .

" Yes , Beck, we ," continued Jade , growing serious ," look I know that you hate the idea of Seattle as one of my choices . I also know you mainly hate it because of Ian but it isn't my only choice for college either …."

" You've been acting like it was , Jade , " pointed out a quiet Beck, trying to talk and hoping to avoid a fight . She seemed to be in a mellow mood considering the facts .

Jade shrugged ." Only because you wouldn't drop it the last time we tried to talk about our future ," reminded Jade , working on undoing the snazzy tie he had worn to the party tonight ," you pissed me off .so it was my turn .to piss you off "

You just love to make me insane " teased Beck, kissing her collarbone .

"Yeah, I do ," said Jade , tossing the tie on the side of the bed and working on his vest ," and I haven't changed my mind about our plans we made , Beck. I just thought that we could consider other colleges together rather than just pick a stuffy one because its in New York .. I think we're a little more mature than we were when we made our plans in the eighth grade . Don't you?"

Beck felt the tension slide right out of his body as well as a surge of relief at her words .

" Yeah we are but they aren't unrealistic plans either "

Finally they were really discussing their future together !

" Now was that so difficult , Jade ?" taunted Beck, working on the zipper on the back of her dress and trailing his fingers lightly down the smooth skin of her back.

" So, we're still on the same page about going to the same college and living together ?"

" Unless you've changed your mind ?" Jade lifted her blue-green eyes to his , waiting.

" Never ," Beck caught her lips in a hot kiss ," so is marriage on the table ?"

Jade sighed , stared stunned at him, and laughed ." What the chizz , Beckett? You know how I feel about marriage but maybe ask me in ten years and I might say yes ."

" I was curious " Beck slid the dress from her shoulders, revealing creamy skin and a barely there black bra ," can't blame a guy for trying ."

" Beck , stop talking " Jade found the remote control, killed the drag racing , and tossed it on the floor along with his shirt ," I want you …."

" I love you, Jade " muttered Beck, lowering her out of the dress and onto the bed , bodies tangling together , heat and passion giving way to the love that bound them together .

******************************HAF***************** *********************

Meanwhile Tori had caught up with Andre and Robbie in the elevator as they made their way upstairs to the apartments that they were staying at . The air was heavy as was Robbie who looked sad and determined all at once yet was lost in his own thoughts and not talking . Andre knew well enough to let him be but he could feel Tori's look of disapproval and knew she was just dying to lash out at him about his behavior .

One of the highlights of being in such a close knit group of friends is that you knew when you were going to get yelled at or lectured by the girls in the group.

" What, Tori? What ? Just say it ! " blurted out Robbie, turning to face his friend .

" How could you cheat on Cat ? You two are perfect for each other and you had the gall to get mad at her for overreacting when you've been acting like a total pig all this time, Robbie ! "

" I didn't cheat on Cat ! I know I was wrong to tell her I was attracted to Carly but I don't want her ! I want Cat , Tori ! I screwed up, alright ! I'm human, I made a mistake ! Just like you made a mistake with Beck …damn ! I didn't mean to say that, I'm sorry " Robbie regretted his slip of tongue and sent Andre an apologetic look .

" It's okay, Rob " Andre reassured his friend and squeezing his girlfriends shoulder to calm her ," things are tense a little bit . Tori knows you didn't mean nothing by it …"

Tori gulped and deflated at the mention of her horrible judgment ." You need to remind Cat that you love her ," suggested Tori, carefully," she's scared right now that you don't ."

" I know what I'm going to do," replied Robbie , firmly ," goodnight, you guys ."

Sending them a wan smile, Robbie turned the knob and found the apartment open and hoping Freddie would be able to help him with the details of his plan to win back Cat, he went inside , leaving the couple alone in the hallway .

" Oh , I have no room to speak after what I did …." trailed off Tori, under her breath.

" Which was and is still in the past ," stated Andre, meeting her gaze ," and we're all cool now which is why I'm not letting you get all down on yourself again, baby . "

Tori leaned in, kissing him." I kind of understand how it could have happened though "

" No," Andre pulled her in his arms," you aren't doing this tonight . Now how come you didn't stay at the hotel with lil Red ? I figured she would need you to calm her down …"

" Trina insisted on staying with Cat ," explained Tori, matter of fact ," and Cat was fine with it so Jade and I just left but now I'm thinking I should have stayed . Andre, how am I supposed to stay in an apartment with the girl who tried to break up some of our best friends ? It's going to be horrible and awkward …..and I don't know if I should just go back to the hotel so I don't betray Cat …."

" Maybe give it a night and see if Carly's gonna kick you out first , Tor "

" Andre ! " Groaning at him, Tori whacked her boyfriend in the chest ," that is not helping me out ! Help me ! "

" Why don't we go inside ," suggested Andre ," I'm not real comfortable with this hallway …I doubt Spencer is going to kick us out for making out ."

" Good point " Tori took his hand and led him inside to the couch, a small light was on illuminating the loft and it appeared everyone was either asleep or not home , which they were both grateful about .. With all the heaviness and the tension surrounding their friends, the couple both needed to relax and unwind with each other ..

" Beats listening to Robbie beating himself up all night about Cat " muttered Andre, getting comfortable on the couch with his girlfriend," and you know with all this stupid chizz , we never really had a chance to dance together tonight ."

Tori pouted ." We could dance now "

Andre leaned in , nuzzled her neck and felt her hands tangle in his dreadlocks .

" Or there are other things we could do, baby " muttered Andre, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close ," if you know what I mean …."

She nibbled at his lips, teasing ." I think we should try to see if Neotronium Records will be interested in signing us as a singing /songwriting duo, Dre ."

Andre lifted his eyes to lock with hers ." I'm cool with this ….but I thought they were just interested in you."

" They are but I sound my best with you and your music, Andre ," confided Tori, because the future had been on her mind the last couple of days ," we're a team ."

" I feel the same way, honey ," agreed Andre, stroking her hair ," so, maybe we can go have a talk with them when we get back home …."

" Yay ! " Tori leaned in, slipping her arms around his neck and kissing him lovingly .

It felt so right and wonderful that in their world they were good finally and devoid of any of the drama that their friends were dealing with in their relationship at the time.

She had enough drama to last her for a lifetime , thank goodness , it was over .

" Stop thinking " Andre nibbled on her ear ," Cat and Robbie will get it together without anymore interference from all of us …."

" I wasn't ! " insisted Tori, holding onto his waist ," okay, maybe just a little bit ."

" Stop it ! Can you focus on me and you and this empty apartment for a few ?" prodded Andre , trailing his hands smoothly down her arms, warming her .

" I love you, Andre " Tori grew serious ," I know its been rough with us but I really am so happy ..I just wanted to make sure that you knew that ."

" I love you too , Tor ," Andre crashed his lips against hers, and they reveled in their love and the heat and the passion that came along with it , just enjoying holding one another , marveling in being with each other .

He slid her dress off a shoulder , pressing delicate kisses on the skin making her sigh.

" Andre "

" I've been going crazy wanting you since we got back together , baby " admitted Andre , working on the zipper on her dress ," you know I want you…."

" I want you too but I don't know if …..this isn't the most romantic place I dreamed of us being together at ," Tori traced the contours of his muscles ," I mean, a lumpy couch at a apartment that we're staying at…."

Andre let out a breath and calmed himself . " It's one in the morning , I think we're safe ."

" Don't be such a dude ," Tori removed her hands , ruefully ," I'm being serious, Dre. "

" No, no, I 'm listening to you ," Andre sat up," I can be sensitive . I'm not a jerk .."

Just then her cell phone went off followed by the lights coming on as Spencer stumbled out of the room, rubbing his eyes and stopping to stare at the couple, who colored in embarrassment .

" Must you teenagers make me be the grown up at the crack of dawn in the morning ? I don't want to talk to your parents , Tori, and have them hate me before I have a chance to explain why I want to be with your sister " muttered a frustrated Spencer ," so, I'm just going to pretend I'm having nightmares so that I didn't see you and Andre in a ..compromising position and have to lie about it ."

Andre let go of his girlfriend and straightened her dress , sending her a sheepish grin .

" I'll just go back next door and then its like you didn't see me, Spencer "

" Thanks, Andre , and if you make it over there in two minutes you should just miss Mrs. Benson coming back from work ," said Spencer ," you don't want to deal with her ."

" Thanks " Andre dropped a swift kiss on his girlfriends mouth," we'll continue this later . Night, baby, love you …"

" Love you back " Tori kissed him back then watched as he disappeared out of the door then flopped back down unceremionally on the couch, disappointed .

" You want some lemonade with me, Tori ? " Spencer ambled into the kitchen ," and don't worry, I'm cool. In the scheme of my sister not talking to me and all the nutso chizz you teenagers have going on right now, me witnessing you and your boyfriend making out is the least of my problems ."

" Sure ," Tori sat down on the stool , accepting the glass of lemonade from him," why are up, Spencer ? Early morning romantic date with my sister ? Because I have to tell you Trina's morning rituals aren't pretty …..just so you know ."

He rolled his eyes , took a drink, and patted the beginnings of the metal heart sculpture that he was working on ., lovingly .

" No," answered Spencer , " I couldn't sleep worrying about Carly so I figured that I might as well work on Hit by Love ."

" Hit by Love ?" questioned a wary Tori, not really wanting to go upstairs and stalling.

Spencer lifted up a old bumper . " My latest sculpture ," he explained , proudly ," I'm going to weld this onto the front of my oversized metal heart which was inspired by my love for Trina and our fateful meeting ."

" You actually are in love with my sister ?' Tori leaned her hands against the counter , curious. She still thought it was unbelievable but a lot of things were so maybe Andre was right .Trina had been there consistently through their parents fighting and counseling so she needed to just suck it up and try to show some sisterly love back .

" I don't understand why this is so difficult for people to believe ? Trina and I love each other ," stated Spencer , putting on his welding helmet ," end of story ."

" It's Trina "

" I would love to chat with you, Tori, about my relationship with your sister but now isn't the time ," told Spencer , realizing he sounded like a parent," it's late or in this case, it's early and you need to head on up to bed and get some sleep …"

" Or I could sleep down here ..on the couch " suggested Tori, feeling like a bad friend as she watched Spencer preparing to weld and gulped down her nerves .

" I'm going to be working but suit yourself " said Spencer, as a low flame lit .

" I'm just going to go on upstairs now " decided Tori, taking the steps two at a time .

As she headed up to the ultimate perfect teen girls bedroom, Tori sent off a goodnight text to Andre , a check up text to both Cat and Trina , followed by mindless random texts to the rest of the gang as she used the light on her phone to find her pajamas - a pair of old sweatpants and a oversized burgundy sweatshirt , and stumbled onto the couch where she had been sleeping , thankful that Carly was sound asleep in her bed .

She sighed and contemplated the floor - it was almost as bad as the couch in Beck's RV.

Carly couldn't sleep, the nights events and her own thoughts of Brad ,, haunting her , making her unable to close her eyes and drift into slumber which she desperately wanted to do. She hadn't thought of Brad in months so it irked her that he kept invading her thoughts ..she didn't want to think about how they had ended .

She didn't want to think, period .

God, she hadn't even told Sam about what had really happened .

Carly turned on her side and tried to banish her thoughts . " Tori is that you ?"

She heard Tori shift beneath the covers and was met with a very sarcastic remark ,"

No, it's actually Robbie come to seduce you! Yes, it's Tori ! "

" Does that joke mean your not mad at me about Robbie ?" asked Carly in a small voice .

" Was the kiss an accident ?"

" No " answered a truthful Carly , under her breath ," it wasn't . I really do like Robbie .."

" Then yeah, I'm mad so if you want to kick me out of your house, " continued Tori," I would understand but Cat is one of my best friends . That killed her ! "

" No, you can stay ," told Carly, wishing she hadn't blown off Sam but terrified of making things between them worse than they already were ," where's Cat ?"

Tori sat up and heaved a sigh," She's back at the hotel with Trina . Why do you care ? You've been out to destroy her relationship with Robbie since we got to Seattle "

Carly tossed a pillow on her bed and looked across the room at the brunette .

" It wasn't like that ! "

" So you changed your mind now and you don't want Robbie ? Because it would be weird but I think we all could get through that alright …." trailed Tori, " look, I got caught up with Beck once and it ruined everything . My life went from bad to worse but with my friends and the love of Andre , which was really hard to get back to , we're good ."

" Robbie isn't a mistake ," swore Carly , trying to make her understand ," he's my love ."

" I think you're very wrong , Carly ," stated Tori, sending off a cheerful text to Cat ," and if you continue acting the way you are , you'll regret that way more …"

" You don't know me " Turning on her side , Carly felt moisture gather in her eyelashes and wished that she could turn back time but knew that wasn't possible . She might be one hundred percent the bad girl but her feelings about Robbie were as sure as anything she had felt for a guy since , well, in a long while and she trusted it ," or what I've been through . Robbie will make everything …perfect and right ."

Curious, Tori tried to meet her gaze across the room. " What have you been through ?"

" Nothing ," dismissed Carly, forgetting herself ," just leave me alone, Tori ."

" But you brought it up and it sounds serious ," replied Tori, recognizing the sad tone of voice ," you can talk to me, Carly …."

But Carly already regretted letting emotions peep through that she had kept hidden and sharing with the California girl as she turned on her side , praying for sleep .

" I don't want to talk ," stated Carly , leaving no room for argument ," goodnight , Tori ."

Tori opened her mouth to speak then thought the better , she would talk to Sam in the morning . This felt like something for a best friend so she squelched her urge to push.

She had a feeling that whatever had possessed Carly to go after Robbie was something more than what any of them were thinking and knew it couldn't be solved tonight .

She just hoped they all survived the aftermath and the destruction of Carly Shay .


	20. Chapter 20

Trina was on a mission .

Once she had made sure that Cat wasn't going to lapse into depression or more crying jags and throwing things fits, Trina dropped her friend off at the campus theatre so that she could continue working on the rest of the costumes for Jade's play while Trina headed downtown to look into potential job openings .

She wasn't even letting her parents in on her plans until she had something lined up.

She had considered living off of her credit card but Trina thought this might be a bad idea and Spencer wasn't rolling in dough and she didn't want to load her shopping expenses off on him . She could be mature and show everyone she knew what she wanted.

If that meant that she had to get a job then she would and so she stepped into Simone's shop, which had to be the sister shop to her favorite boutique in L.A.

It carried everything from Felony jeans, glitzy rhinestone studded hats, ornate jewelry , and the largest selection of Fizzene shoes and boots available .

It was a personal heaven to Trina as she wondered the shop, pausing to examine rhinestone hoop earrings and cringing at the fifty four dollar price tag .

Guess her knock off hoops would have to do for now .

She tried to catch the attention of the fashionably dressed sales associate but the woman was busy talking to an attractive blonde dressed in a red wrap dress , a briefcase between them and a laptop busy at work .

Trina picked up a rocking silver two inch heel and let out a sigh . It was perfect .

" I just got back from the L.A. and the New York shops ," the blonde was saying in all manner of seriousness ," the sales are slow but then in this economy its expected . Our target buyers are young women in their mid -twenties but I don't feel as if Fizzene needs to follow the Sex and the City crowd of high end high heels ."

" The newest line is gorgeous with a reasonable price " agreed the sales woman .

" Candies stole our niche hiring Lea Michele ," said the blonde, thoughtfully ," the Gleek buzz has their shoes selling like hot cakes . I want a fresh, new approach to Fizzene …the everyday's young woman in the glamour shoe ."

Trina slid her feet into the ultra sexy heels and butted headlong into the conversation.

" That is so right ," interrupted Trina, joining them at the counter," hi. Sorry to just jump in here but I love Fizzene shoes …I've been buying them since I was 17 . "

The blonde examined her with a curious eye . " How old are you now ?"

" Nineteen but I know fashion ," Trina went on ," I set the style wearing Fizzene at Hollywood Arts and they are the it shoes to wear though I think it would be cool if there was a pair of running shoes as well . Just a little thought ….and these are fabulous "

She held out her foot encased in the shiny new silver heels. " I would wear these for a night out dancing or to parties "

" Oh my God ," exclaimed the blonde ," you have gorgeous feet ."

Trina grinned and preened a bit , flattered by the compliment . " Thanks ," answered Trina , attempting to be modest," I take care of these babies with some foot bleaching every other week and quality pedicures ."

A gleam appeared in the blonde's blue eyes as she examined Trina with a practiced eye as an idea formed in her head as she held out her hand to Trina.

" I'm Ivy Mackenzie ," she introduced herself ," I'm in charge of Isabelle Fizzene's marketing campaign for her newest line of heels and sandals . Are you a model, Miss ?"

Trina shook the woman's hand and let out a breath she hadn't been aware of holding .

" Trina Vega . Um, maybe ," stammered Trina, trying to regain her composure ," I mean to say that I am currently modeling for a local artist , Spencer Shay and I have appeared on national television in the parade parade …."

" Interesting so no experience ," mused Ivy , the idea taking hold and she went with her gut that had never proven her wrong," no matter . I'm having a thought and an idea that will knock Ms .Fizzene where I want her …this couldn't have been more perfect ."

" Ivy ," interrupted her colleague ," you don't think you are being rash ? "

" No, I think I'm being brilliant ," informed Ivy, gesturing for Trina to keep talking ," you have the right look, Ms. Vega . Would you be interested in doing a photo shoot for Fizzene ? You'd be modeling the latest in the summer line of heels and sandals …Sydney would be photographing your feet ."

Trina had to catch herself before she fainted ." You want me to model for Fizzene ?"

" Yes , " continued Ivy , typing up a few emails as she spoke with the young woman ," this is hardly the way I normally approach a new campaign but I have a feeling that you are just what Isabelle and I have been searching for …"

" You want me to be the next Lea Michele ?" questioned Trina, excitedly .

" No," continued Ivy, matter of fact, " I 'm going to send you to Sydney Maxwell this afternoon and he will get you all set up and take some pictures . Nicole here is going to pull up some paperwork for you to do online so we have all the details for you to get paid for modeling for us this afternoon . How does that sound, Miss. Vega ?"

" Unbelievable ," Trina could hardly contain her excitement ," but I would love to model for you. So am I understand that you want to use my feet in a campaign ? "

" We'll start with you modeling the new line of Fizzene summer and see what happens when Isabelle looks at the shots , Miss. Vega " told Ivy, with a warm smile ," if she approves then who knows what could happen . You could be the feet of Fizzene ."

" Feet of Fizzene would be amazing " gushed Trina , dying to call and tell Spencer and Tori and just about everybody she knew but that could wait until later .

She had to try to act like a professional and hope she hadn't already failed badly .

Nicole rolled her eyes .and turned the laptop towards her . " Miss. Vega , if you could just fill out some paperwork for us here, we can get you set up to be paid "

" I can do that " replied Trina, happily ," I was going to see if the sales associate position was still open here but this is the best thing that has ever happened to me . Other than almost running over the man I am in love with …sorry , long story ."

Ivy and Nicole shared a knowing smile . Their boss would love this girl !

" Well, if Sydney and Isabelle aren't wowed by your shoot , Miss. Vega ," told a dry Nicole ," I am sure I can arrange an interview at any of our Simone locations ."

" That would be great ," Trina was grateful ," I really appreciate the opportunity ."

Her obsession with Fizzene was really paying off !

Seattle was the right place for her , Trina knew this deep in her soul and this just cemented what she had already known about her life .

It was here .

Spencer was here and so was a new job .

She couldn't wait to start living it !

*********************************HAF************** *********************

Meanwhile at the theatre , Cat busied herself backstage , adjusting the length of the ivory sleeve on Andre's shirt, hemming one of Jade's dresses, then with careful precision she sewed white satin into the lacy bodice to make Tori feel more comfortable in it .

It was little , piddly things to keep herself busy and preoccupied from thinking about Robbie . Not that it did much good because she couldn't help but to think of him but swore that she would let him come to her even though he hadn't even texted her once.

Cat had to remind herself that she had told him she needed some breathing room and he was simply doing what she asked of him but it was difficult .

She still felt exhausted from crying last night and though she was determined to fight for the love of her life, Cat was still scared and apprehensive about actually doing it .

She knew she wasn't near as brave as Tori or as fearless as Jade .

Still Cat firmly believed that Robbie was her soul mate and that was true .

Soul mates always found their way back to each other .

Unless he decided he wanted to break up with her said the tiny part of her but she ssshed it away, refusing to listen to it. That wasn't going to happen with her and Robbie .

Cat had poked her head out from behind the stage a few times, sneakily hoping to catch a peek of Robbie's tall, lanky build and curly hair , disappointed to find Sinjin manning the board with Burf helping on the lighting .

Where was Robbie ?

It just wasn't like him to bail on something important like Jade's play rehearsal .

Icily she wondered if he was with Carly then caught herself , refusing to believe it , and turning her attention to the stage where Andre as Roland and Tori as Ana were running through a passionate scene and one of her favorites out of the whole play .

The stage had been transformed to the inside of a barn , bales of hay and a lantern were the only props , as the sound of a hard, pounding rain reverberated throughout the theatre as if it was really a storm coming through . It was so real that Cat almost expected to hear thunder and a flash of lightning that usually followed a huge downpour .

The mood onstage was heavy and thick with emotions as Andre and Tori brought Roland and Ana's love story alive as he reached out towards Tori, placing a warm palm against the curve of his cheek and her eyes widened as a slow smile crossed her lips .

" Morgana doubts your truth towards me, Ana ," said Andre , his voice husky as he allowed Roland to emerge and take over ," she suggested I was merely an amusement for you or would you defy the law and that of your own father for me ?"

" Morgana is a vile woman " hissed Tori, making a face . Disdain dripping with each word ," it bothers me that you are ..friends with that …woman ."

He drew his hand back. " You were going to say witch ."

" Isn't she one though ," Tori turned , hand against her chest ," the whispers around the village deem it so even though she claims to be nothing but a healer ."

He caught her elbow, forcing her to look at him. " She does heal as do I ," stated Roland, fiercely ," and Morgana has always been my friend. Ana, you never answered me….am I simply an amusement to you ? "

He prayed the answer would be true and that he wasn't hoping against hope with them.

Ana sighed and tossed her brown hair off of her shoulders, hurt in her eyes mirroring his own .

" How dare you ask me such a thing, Roland ! I am defying everything I have been taught , my dearest beliefs simply to be with you ! Yet you question that I love you ?"

His voice caught , coming out husky . " I don't take love lightly , Ana ."

Ana took a few steps and launched herself at him, arms sliding around his neck .

" I have been courted by many men yet only you have captured my heart, Roland " assured Ana , pressing her lips against his in a deep kiss ," I will do anything so that we may live together . Even if that means running away together …"

" I know of a place in Boston where we could make a home together , my dearest love "

Cat sighed , wiping at the tears that trekked down her face at the beautiful scene her friends were enacting and turned away to hide backstage before she had a full out crying jag once more .

" Cat ?" called Jade , noticing her friend's sad expression and debated on how to approach the redhead but she didn't want to interrupt Andre and Tori who were really bringing everything to the run through today .

Beck slid an arm around her waist ." Just let her be, babe ."

" I think she was crying again " pointed out Jade , biting the inside of her lip in frustration," and Robbie is toast when he gets here ! How he thinks he can just not show up today and make Sinjin do his job- he has some nerve ."

" Robbie had a legit reason ," reminded Beck, ever calm ," he's fixing this mess with Carly so he can start winning Cat back over again. We all want this …..even you."

Jade chewed on her pen tip ." No, I still want to crush his spine ."

" Cut Rob some slack " said Beck , kissing the side of her hair ," he's bad off too ."

Before the couple could continue the rest of their conversation, Ms. Tonkin from the Brooklyn theatre program slipped into the theatre, entranced by the love story that was coming alive on stage then made her way to where Jade and Beck were observing .

" Miss. West ? Mr. Oliver ? " Phoebe Tonkin smiled warmly at them ," I don't know if you remember me from the party the other night ? "

A surprised smile flitted across Jade 's face. " Miss . Tonkin, hi. Sure we remember you and look we are so sorry we had to bail on you ..it really was important for our friend ."

" I believe you, Jade ," replied Phoebe , carefully ," and I hope your friend is better."

" We hope so too " agreed Jade , glancing back at the stage where Andre and Tori were moving on to discussing Roland and Ana's possible future together ," sorry ..I reworked this scene and Andre and Tori are just doing really good ….."

" It's amazing ," stated Phoebe , honestly ," I would run away with him ."

" His girlfriend might not like that , Ms. Tonkin " deadpanned Beck, seriously .

Phoebe couldn't help but to chuckle at his teasing . " You are charming , Beck, " she said ," I cannot wait to see you and Jade in action . Now before I get myself sidetracked by all this handsomeness and the brilliant screenwriting to boot , I want to be serious ."

Jade smiled at Beck, pleased . " We're listening ."

" I read both of your transcripts from Hollywood Arts ," continued Phoebe, cutting to the chase ," and I must say that I'm not only impressed but intrigued as well. Would it be possible for us to speak for in depth about my school and try to cajole the both of you into considering it ? "

" Beck and I still need to run through a few of our scenes but we could take a break "

" We could take a long lunch " suggested Beck, eagerly ," if that is alright with you ?"

" I still have to make my rounds of some skits but a lunch chat sounds good " told Phoebe ," and for the record , you two, I went to the Slap and watched some pieces you two had posted . Great stuff though I question how you can write macabre horror than scares the daylight out of me , Jade, and then a period piece that is obviously powerful and brilliant ."

" Jade is extremely talented , Ma'm " Beck couldn't have been more proud of her .

" You saw my reaudition piece online ," realized Jade ," that was fun . I terrified our new principal, our acting teacher , and the guidance counselor with that piece ."

Beck stared at his girlfriend in disbelief ." I thought you took that down ?"

" Mikey was scaring the chizz out of his friends with that so I put it back up to , you know help him ," explained a matter of fact Jade ,then to the woman ," my kid brother was the screaming kid in the film with me . I was helping him out …."

" Cute so how about we say noon at the diner on campus ?" suggested Phoebe .

" Just Jade , I assume ?" inquired Beck, bristling slightly . He had hoped his acting abilities were as memorable as those of his girlfriend but it was fine . He would sway the woman with his intelligence and charm and impress her on his own merit .

" Nonsense , Beck, " countered Phoebe Tonkin," I will get to you at lunch . You have drama major pouring out of your soul ..I would love to get the pair of you to my school but we'll talk about that in a bit . I will let you get back to work ."

With a casual wave that reminded them both of their favorite teacher , Miss . Tonkin turned on her bright red heels and exited the theatre as a smile split across the couples face .

" Okay, I gotta admit, I like the lady ," relented Jade ," she's cool ."

" I have a really great feeling about Brooklyn , babe " Beck kissed her cheek ," and that Tori and Andre killed that scene impressing the hell out of Ms. Tonkin ."

" Uh, Jade ," called out Andre ,looking out towards her ," what'd you think ?"

" Yeah," challenged Tori," were we passionate enough for you ?"

" You were good ," admitted Jade, smirking at her ," take a break ."

Burf turned the spotlight on Jade with a wacky grin ," All eyes are on you, Jade ."

" Burf, don't ruin my good mood " shouted Jade without the bite ," now if I can pull this play off without a hitch and impress my Dad then everything is good ."

********************************HAF*************** ***********************

Robbie was freaking out as he stood outside the door of the Shay apartment , siking himself out about all of the reasons face to face wasn't a good idea but knowing he couldn't turn around and go back on what he needed to do .

He had sent Carly a text earlier and she had agreed that a talk sounded good .

It was the little smiley face at the end of her text that scared the chizz out of him .

Breaking up with Roxanne had been nerve-wracking and awful as far as confrontations went but this wasn't even a break up ….he wasn't sure what it was but he had to be firm and clear with Carly about the whole situation between them .

Time to stop being an asshole and take responsibility for his flirting .

Robbie lifted his pear phone, Cat's beautiful smile the first thing he saw , and sent her one simple , heartfelt message .

Cat

I miss you and I'm sorry . I love you . Robbie

Blowing out a breath, Robbie pushed his insecurities aside and found his confidence to do what he had to do so he could concentrate on his relationship with Cat .

Lost in his own contemplation , He didn't hear Gibby sneak up on him until he was right in front of him and staring at him with a dubious expression on his face .

" Carly must really like you to be acting the way she is acting , Robbie ," replied a quiet Gibby ," she's a nice girl , you know . How is Cat ? Did you break her heart too ?"

" Gibby, you scared me ," admitted Robbie with a scowl ," are you going to see Carly ?"

" Sam, Freddie , and I are going for food " answered Gibby , motioning to the Benson door across the hall ," whatever your going to do, you should try not to hurt her ."

" I don't want to hurt anyone ," groaned Robbie ," I'm simply going to apologize to Carly and make her understand how I feel about Cat , that's all . It's everything …"

" Don't hurt her " warned Gibby, wanting to say more about Carly but hesitating .

" You should tell Carly that you care for her , man " suggested Robbie , helpfully .

" You kind of made things messy with your own girlfriend and Carly, Robbie , so I don't think me taking advice from you is the thing to do " commented Gibby, thoughtfully .

" Or it is because I screwed up very badly in a lot of ways ," said Robbie ,with a nod ," I wasted a lot of opportunities with Cat because I was afraid and then when I had her , I didn't know what to do. Now I've made things even worse …you should just tell Carly you care about her and lay it on the table ."

Gibby rubbed his chin, thoughtfully . " Maybe ….."

Carly opened the door glancing from Robbie to Gibby with curiosity written across her face .

" I thought I heard voices ," brought up Carly ," what are you guys doing out here ?"

Gibby sent her a wan smile and gestured next door ." Hey Carly "

" Come on, Robbie , we have so much to talk about " Carly grabbed his arm, pulling him inside the apartment with her, and closing the door with a loud thud .

" Carly ," Robbie shook off her hold ," thanks for agreeing to hear me out ."

Carly flung her arms around his neck , happily ." Of course , Robbie , I couldn't wait to see you again . Did you break up with Cat last night ?"

Robbie frowned and removed her arms from him ." No, none of that ," Robbie tried to put some distance between them ," I think this has been like a huge misunderstanding . I didn't break up with Cat and I wont because I am in love with her and not you ."

Carly frowned and approached him, touching his arm ." Maybe we should kiss again , Robbie , because you obviously need a reminder of what sparks we have between us ."

Robbie lifted her hand from his ." This is all of my fault , Carly, and I'm sorry that I led you on because I didn't mean too ! I wasn't even sure you were flirting with me ! "

" You cannot deny that we have chemistry together ! I didn't dream up those sparks and you like me , Robbie ! " Carly was equally determined to prove this to be true .

He moved behind the couch , afraid of what she would do next and trying to remember what Andre and Beck had said about being firm and clear .

He couldn't back down until she got the big picture though he didn't think she wanted to see the small picture right now , unfortunately .

" Carly, you are attractive and smart ," tried Robbie ," and I think your great but there isn't anything between us . Even if we have an attraction, I wont leave Cat to be with you . I'm sorry but I love Cat more than anything and I will not lose her ."

" You made me think you had feelings for me " accused Carly, her heart darkening taking her to a place she didn't want to revisit yet mingling with her moments with Robbie clouding her already fuzzy mind even more so.

" Because I saved your life ? You know , I was just being nice guy ! I would have even saved Jade and she hates me most of the time ! It wasn't anything romantic !"

" We almost kissed ! How is that not romantic ? You wanted to kiss me too ! I saw the way that you looked at me ! You wanted me the same way I want you " accused Carly , desperate and clutching at him .

He put more space between them , feeling uncomfortable ." Then hate me ! Jade already hates me so you girls could have a club or something but this ..nothing is going to happen between us , Carly . This is over , its done , you need to move on ."

Carly fought the panic clawing within her and grasping his shirt pressed her lips to his .

" I am in love with you ! "

Robbie wretched her away from him ." Stop it , Carly ! Stop it ! This is never going to happen with us because I am not in love with you . How many times must you make me repeat it ? "

" You aren't even giving us a chance " accused Carly, trembling before him .

" My heart belongs to Caterina Valentine and always will " stated Robbie , confident ," you need to stop acting this way because it wont change how I feel ."

" You could love me ! " Tears sprang to Carly's eyes as she tried to convince him of the real possibility ," we have so much in common ! You don't have anything with your precious Cat ! "

" But I don't love you ! I wont ever be in love with you, Carly, because its always going to be Cat for me ! We're done here " stated Robbie , finality in his voice ," I'm sorry and I'll ask that you not try to manipulate and hurt the girl that I love either . "

" Robbie ! " wailed Carly, feeling as if all her hopes were shattering before her feet .

" Good day" declared Robbie, feeling like a horrible guy for hurting her but knowing the most important person in his life was hurting even worse because of him .

Without giving her time to respond , Robbie left the apartment and let out a relieved breath once he was out in the actual hallway .

That hadn't went as bad as he had been expecting and he felt like she had gotten it .

" Now to enact part one in winning Cat's heart back " declared Robbie , a man on a mission of the heart of his one true love .


	21. Chapter 21

Cat listened to the playful banter of Andre and Tori as she sat on the edge of the stage, scrolling through the dozens of pictures of herself with Robbie , smiling, being silly, being happy , and just being in love, and resisted the urge to cry as she examined the large stack of costumes that was in a basket beside her , busy work to keep her occupied .

Jade and Beck had taken off to meet the Brooklyn lady about college and hadn't returned yet so they all hoped that this was a good sign for their friends .

Sinjin and Burf were adjusting the lighting rather than incur the wrath of Jade and Robbie still hadn't shown up though she had received a sweet apology text from him.

Tori thought that she should forgive him unless she wanted to break up with him.

After much thought , Cat knew that breaking up with Robbie wasn't something that she wanted but dread and worry settled in the pit of her stomach along with the what if he had fallen in love with Carly .

Carly was pretty and much smarter than she was -she and Robbie had things in common .

" Cat ," scolded Tori, crouching down to look at her friend ," Andre wont be able to wear that shirt if you keep sewing the arms together ….."

" Daren't ," Cat dropped the shirt on her lap as well with her pear phone ," I didn't mean to do that …..have you heard from Robbie ? Do you think he is avoiding me ?"

" I don't imagine so but Cat , you asked him to give you a couple days to think ," reminded Tori, gently ," I think he is just trying to give you what you wanted ."

" I was upset, Tori ! I don't think I really wanted that many days alone ..I have way too many thoughts to think about ! Robbie should know that ! " moaned Cat, biting her lip.

" Cat, you know he loves you " reinforced Tori, matter of fact ," this is just a rough patch . All couples have them -me and Andre and Jade and Beck ."

" I know and I know I need to talk to Carly but I'm afraid , Tori , because I don't know what I'll do ….I have never wanted to kill anyone before " says Cat, quietly .

" You weren't crazy about that North Ridge gank that Robbie dated if I recall correctly ….."

" That's because Roxanne was from North Ridge " muttered Cat , dropping the needle and thread in her sewing kit ," and we all knew she was a gank but Carly didn't start out as a gank . Or I didn't think she was a gank after my boyfriend ….I should have listened to Jade last night and just went and punched her in the face ."

Tori shook her head at her , concerned about her friends well-being ." I thought Trina and I talked you out of the violence last night , Cat ."

" Maybe a little bit ," Cat held up a smidge with her fingers ," sorry, Tori, but I just need to sike myself up or out and go tell that boyfriend stealing gank that its over and she can't have my guy ….."

Tori patted her shoulder , comforting her . " Do you want me and Andre to drive you over there ?"

" Not right now " says Cat, twisting a strand of red hair , worriedly , and not noticing Robbie slipping quietly inside the theatre and stopping beside Andre and the guys .

*************************HAF********************** *********************

" Hey ," greeted Robbie , placing a hand on Andre's shoulder ," sorry I'm late ."

" Your safe for now ," explained Andre ," Jade and Beck are at some college lunch pow wow with that New York Arts college lady they met the other night and I think that Beck has calmed her down a bit ."

" Thank goodness " Robbie breathed a sigh of relief and noticed Cat sitting on the stage ," so, I think I'm going to go talk to Cat now …."

" Wait, man, " replied Andre , hesitation in his voice ," how 'd it go with Carly ? You get your point across to the girl ?"

" It was horrible ," confessed Robbie , cringing at the confrontation of earlier ," it was worst than breaking up with Roxie in a public place . I mean, I was cool with Carly and I told her how it was …..she knows I don't love her ."

" Good , that's real good, Rob . I'm proud of you for dumping her ."

" I did so now there is a pretty redhead over there that I need to start groveling too " decided Robbie , taking a deep breath and moving forward to approach her .

" Stop ! "

Robbie rolled his eyes in exasperation . " Tori, move out of the way ! "

" No ," Tori the fierce friend was out now ," Cat was a mess last night because you were a lying skunk bag ! We were afraid that she was going to have an anxiety attack because Cat was so upset and worked up over you , Robbie ! "

Robbie held his palms up in surrender . " I know ! Believe me, I worried about Cat too ! Look , Tori, I spoke with Carly and I cleared this whole thing up so will you please move out of the way and let me try to talk to my girlfriend ."

" We're rooting for you, man " chimed in Burf, raising a fist in the air .

" Robbie and Cat ! " cried Sinjin, " what ? "

" Stay out of it , guys " suggested Andre , helpfully .

" Nerd solidarity , Andre ," explained Sinjin ," Robbie is our king nerd ."

Tori heaved a sigh and moved out of the way ." Be gentle with her , Robbie ."

" I will do my best …" said Robbie, apprehension in his tone as he moved towards the stage .

Tori moved into Andre's arms , sharing a doubtful expression on her face as she stared up at the handsome face of her own boyfriend .

" I have a bad feeling about them, Dre " Tori rested her head on his shoulder . It was still fresh the wounds and the worry of their own situation making her understanding .

" Have a little faith in them , baby " Andre dropped a light kiss against her hair .

" We should wait here and keep an eye on them " suggested nosy Tori, meaning well.

" I have binoculars " offered Burf , holding up a pair of high powered binoculars .

" Let's go ," Andre took control of the crazies ," we're not spying on Robbie and Cat . That means you too, you nerds ."

Andre led his girlfriend and the two nerdy best friends out of the theatre allowing the couple the privacy of an empty theatre and the silence surrounding them .

*********************************HAF************** *****************

" Cat "

Cat turned her head, brown eyes colliding with brown, and a weary expression flitted across her face as she played with her fingers , nervously .

" Robbie ," Cat's voice was super soft and laced with fear ," I ..I got your text ."

Robbie's heart pounded against his chest , her fragile state apparent more so now in the shy way that she averted her gaze and the thin line across her mouth .

" I know you wanted time to yourself and I respect that ," Robbie treaded careful, afraid he would set her off again ," and just say the word , sweetheart, and I will leave now ."

" I never thought you would hurt me like this , Robbie ," managed Cat , moving her hand to her heart as if she could steady it ," am I not smart enough for you ?"

Robbie had been expecting a lot of accusations from Cat but this blindsided him.

He frowned and inched closer to her , searching her face as if this was some sort of idle thought but realized she was being serious .

" I know and I hate myself for it ," swore Robbie , his voice firm ," Cat, what are you talking about ? Of course , you are plenty smart enough….I love the way that you think and your insights are always bright and inquisitive ."

" Even though I don't always understand all that journalism stuff you do ?" Her voice was tiny ," I love your writing, Robbie, but I don't always get the technical terms and stuff ."

" Cat, you're smart and funny ," declared Robbie , love in every single word and truth he uttered to her ," beautiful , talented , and I am in love with you. I'm so sorry that you ..that I made you doubt that but I don't love Carly . I never loved her ."

" I want to believe you, Robbie , but I'm a little bit afraid too " says Cat, eyes downcast .

" I understand ," replied a careful Robbie , with the slightest nod to her ," and I was wrong to put your jealousy to blame for everything between us. I had an idea that Carly was into me but I wasn't exactly sure and then I thought ..it didn't matter what I thought because I shouldn't have been . "

" Andre said you talked to Carly " Cat waited in baited breath, chewing on her bottom lip.

" I did ," Robbie straightened ," I told Carly flat out that nothing ever would happen between her and I because I love you. I was very clear and she understood ."

" It didn't stop her before , Robbie …."

" It will this time ," stated Robbie , firmly ," trust me . Trust in you and me ..and I realize that's asking a lot of you but I'll wait for as long as it takes for you to trust me again ."

He handed her a small pink bakery box and watched her eyes light up with curiosity .

" You don't have to say anything ," continued Robbie , quietly ," and I know this doesn't make up for me being horrible but I noticed these and thought of you …"

Cat lifted the lid to reveal red velvet cupcakes and couldn't help but melt a little at the thoughtfulness of the gift and the reminder of how they got together .

" You got me cupcakes "

" I know it doesn't make them breakfast cupcakes ," replied Robbie , touching her arm, " but they are your favorite so I thought you would probably enjoy them ."

" Three of them " muttered Cat , softening a little ," oh, you found a place here that makes the pink swirly icing too, Robbie ."

" Sam knows people," admitted Robbie ," she helped me out ."

" That was nice of her " acknowledged Cat , placing the box on the stage and standing up," and I love three …"

" I know that you do so…..I should touch base with the guys and see if I need to do anything before Jade comes back and kills me …." trailed Robbie,not wanting to leave her and hoping for some sort of sign from her that they were going to be alright .

Cat stared at him, wanting to say something but still feeling uncertain .

" Robbie, wait ," Cat leaned in and hugged him," thank you for the cupcakes "

" Anything for you, Cat " Robbie closed his eyes and hugged her back, savoring having her in his arms, and caressed her hair, not wanting to let go .

" I don't want to lose us either , you know " admitted Cat , under her breath ," and the cupcakes were sweet of you. I think that if we both fight for us then we're going to be just fine ….."

" Your going to fight for me ? " Robbie was touched yet concerned ," Cat, what exactly does that mean ? I mean, I know you don't like controversy anymore than I do and as long as we both want the same thing I have faith in us too ."

" Never mind what it means , I know what it means " declared Cat, twisting the ring on her finger , anxiously ," and I need to finish working on Andre's shirt before Jade gets back from the meeting thingy ."

Robbie turned and headed towards the board where he noticed his friends had resurfaced and went back to work rather than worrying and obsessing over his relationship with Cat.

It had went much better than he expected and she hadn't slapped him again so he was just going to trust that what they had was too special and too important to the both of them to just fade away . Her hug and the strange fighting comment gave him more hope .

He'd give her a little more time and show her again how much he loved her .

He won her love months ago and he would do it all again for love .

Spencer was inspired by his love for Trina as he welded the bumper onto the large medal heart that now stood in the kitchen of the apartment with a good feeling that this would be his piece de resistance , the work of art that would be his 'It' piece .

He turned off the blow torch , lifted his helmet, and grinned like a fool at the finished product .

It was pretty awesome , if he said so himself and he did .

Carly hadn't resurfaced from her room since her talk with Robbie earlier and was still refusing to talk with him about what was going on and since he hadn't seen Freddie or Sam appear , the fight was obviously still going on .

He liked it better when they were screaming at each other rather than the whole fighting and not speaking with each other . It was at times like these that he wished their mom was still alive , she would have known what to say to Carly and how to make things right again.

Spencer felt like this time he was up some creek without any paddle , if he knew how to boat , that was but still he felt helpless , which really did suck.

" Spencer ! Spencer ! Honey , oh my God ," Not waiting for him to let her in, Trina walked into the apartment , stopping when she saw his new sculpture and smiling widely at him," I have the most amazing , exciting news to tell you! Wait, is that your new sculpture ? "

Spencer caught her around the waist and held her there , proud of his work .

" It is Hit by love ," declared Spencer , showing it off ," inspired by our first meeting . I wanted to put some of a bike but I changed my mind so what do you think ?"

" I think that it is brilliant ," Trina gave him a smacking kiss on the mouth ," and so are you. See , I am dating the most wonderful artist in all of Seattle ! "

" Probably not but you can think it if you want , Trin ," grinned Spencer , " really gets the juices flowing . I'm gonna see if the guys can help me take it to my booth at the Shakespeare festival ..see if I can maybe sell it or show it off or both ."

" I don't really know art which you know ," said Trina, honestly ," you'll have to teach me but I imagine art buyers will see all of the love you put into it and have to have it as soon as they look at it . You should post it on Splash face ,too ."

" You are my muse , Trina Vega " Spencer led her over to the couch ," now tell me what exciting thing happened to you today . Didn't you have some interviews around town?"

" I had a few ," started Trina, excitedly ," which they were alright but nothing that really was me, you know . So I went into Simone's which is like my favorite store ever because its where I always get my Fizzene shoes and I overhear these business type ladies talking about the shoe market and Lea Michele so I walked myself over there and told them how knowledgeable I was when it came to Fizzene ."

" You didn't get thrown out ?" inquired Spencer, not unkindly .

He had has share of being thrown out of places and knew things like that had happened to her as well. It was another thing that they had in common with each other .

" No," Trina smacked him ," I got a job ! They took one look at how hot my feet look in the new Fizzene shoes so they sent me to go model the new line of shoes ….that's where I have been all afternoon . I had an actual photo shoot for my feet and the photographer he said I have some of the sexiest , perfect feet that he has ever seen in the business ."

" That's wonderful ! I'm happy for you " Spencer kissed her, happily .

" I know and it gets even better ,' went on Trina, who had been dying all day to tell him so that she could tell Tori, her family, and all of her friends next ," Ivy dropped by the shoot -she is like the head lady besides Isabelle Fizzene and she was even more impressed by me the second time around so I have a meeting with the Isabelle Fizzene herself in a couple of days . I may really , actually become the official feet girl of Fizzene if she likes me ! Can't you totally see me ? "

" Mom said my forty dollar feet bleaching wouldn't amount to anything but she was so wrong ," Trina beamed ," and I get paid like four hundred dollars for them taking pictures of my feet today ! This would have never happened to me if I stayed home this summer ."

" I am so happy you answered my ad " Spencer drew her into a slow kiss ," and I want to try to get my Dad on some web chat so I can tell him about us . I know I don't need his permission to have you move in with me but I do want to tell him about us ."

Trina nodded and tossed his welding helmet on the floor ." I want to call Mom and Dad too but after I tell Tori about my possible new job. I'd like to have her on my side before I break the news about us to my parents ….they listen to her more than me ."

He nodded ," I wish Carly would listen to me … I've tried but she is really furious . I'm pretty sure Robbie dumped her or laid it on the line with her and she still is into it with Freddie and Sam. "

" Do you want me to talk to her ? I know she hates my guts but maybe an older woman who has had some pretty terrible dating issues might help her a little …."

" The door is locked ," informed Spencer , touched that she still wanted to help ," and I don't think so, Trina . If this doesn't stop by tomorrow , I'm pretty sure Sam and her will duke it out and get things right between them ."

" Let's call your Dad " enthused Trina, running her hands through his hair ," then I so need to see how much closet space you have in your room ? Our room now ..I have a lot of clothes and shoes to bring when I move in ."

" Closet space ?" Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat ," we might have to make you more room. The closet isn't that big ….."

" You're so cute when your nervous , Spencer " Trina dragged him into his room , talking a mile a minute ," and did I tell you there might be commercials ? "

" Commercials " repeated Spencer , flabbergasted as she led him to his bedroom.

" Commercials ," repeated Carly, making sure the coast was clear as she made her way into the kitchen for ice cream ," I don't think I want to know ."

She padded into the kitchen in her fuzzy house slippers and found some frozen yogurt in the freezer .

" This works " She grabbed the pint of chocolate and a spoon, deliberated on hibernating on the couch and risk Spencer lecturing her again or going back upstairs to hide in her room once more .

The hiding sounded much better and she was getting good at the ignoring .

She'd set her phone on mute and ignored the 10 calls from Freddie and the two dozen texts and angry voicemails from Sam, not wanting to talk to anyone .

Robbie's denial and rejection still fresh and making her sad .

There had to be another way ..why couldn't she think of another way to get him ?

A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie but she wasn't in the mood for whoever was behind the other side . Probably Freddie wanting to make her talk to Sam.

Sam would have just barged in .

" Go away , Freddie ! I have nothing left to say to you ! " shouted Carly, taking off the lid and taking a chance to eat at the counter of the kitchen.

" I'm not Freddie and I'm not going away …." Gibby barged in, his expression dark and the inflection in his tone startling her ," I have some things I need to say to you, Carly !"

He noticed she was wearing her pajamas and red puffy eyes from crying completed the look . Why would she make herself this upset over Robbie ?

It still baffled the daylights out of him and after a lot of serious thinking he had decided that he needed to hear what he had to say whether she wanted to or not .

Carly took a bite of yogurt .

" I don't want to make up with Sam or Freddie just yet, Gibby, so you might as well just get out now so I can finish moping " stated Carly, moving to the couch .

She would take the chance of Spencer and Trina if she had too .

" They didn't send me ," he continued ," I'm part of this group too, Carly, and since your mad at them ..well, you can listen to me for a change ."

" Don't want to listen to any of you ! Leave, Gibby ! Unless you want to see Spencer but then he's probably doing who knows what gross things with the new girlfriend of his "

" Tough because I have important things that you need to hear , Carly, and I am not leaving this apartment until you hear me out " Gibby didn't know why now was the right time for him to talk to her but it felt right so here goes nothing .

" I am going to my room ! " Carly stood up and was shocked when he grabbed her arm , stopping her as their eyes locked in a way that had never happened before .

" Let go of me, Gibby ! Didn't I tell you that I didn't want to hear about it from you either ? Because guess what, I don't care what any of you have to say about who I love ! "

" Who the hell are you and what in the name of holy chizz did they do to you, Carly ? I thought I knew who you were ….who you are but this girl who manipulates people on purpose and who dresses all ..not like yourself and goes all gank on a friends boyfriend, I don't know that girl ! That isn't my friend ! "

Carly pulled her arm away and scowled angrily at him. " I am in love with Robbie and I am sorry you don't see that, Gibby ! I …I don't care what you think ..this is me ! "

" No, it isn't ," argued Gibby, deciding it was now or never ," yea, the girl in the Girly Cow pajamas and the fuzzy slippers is you but not the girl who is acting like some gank ! The girl ..my friend ..she is nice and sweet and perky …and a good person who would never deliberately set out to hurt people that she knows …."

" That girl is tired of being stepped all over and hurt all of the time ! " blurted out Carly, catching herself and clamping a hand over her mouth to prevent it again .

" Who hurt you ? What is making you act like the bad girl from all of those reality shows that Spencer watches ? Come on, talk to me, Carly …..I care about you ."

" You wouldn't understand ," managed Carly, her stomach in knots ," and ..I…I've never seen this side of you before, Gibby ."

" You only see what you want to see, Carly, and most of the time I'm cool with that ," went on Gibby, plugging ahead now that he had come this far ," but I am sick of watching you act like this when I know it's not you. You are better than this and Robbie doesn't love you …the dude loves Cat ! "

" I deserve love just as much as the next girl ! " Carly rubbed the tension around her eyes and felt some of her defenses start to crumble ," and I don't need or want you coming in here trying to make me feel better or lecturing me ! I don't ….and ….you don't know me ! "

Gibby stopped and gazed deeply into her eyes startling her in its intensity .

" I like to think that I do, Carly , but if you don't want to see that then you wont ," said a most calm Gibby ," if you continue this whole chasing Robbie thing you have going on, your just going to hurt yourself along with Cat and Robbie ."

" Are you finished yet ?" Carly crossed her arms over her chest, as a fluttery feeling took up residence within her system and she did her best to ignore it .

" I am now ," Gibby turned towards the door ," oh, and one more thing, if you happen to see the real Carly , I happen to think that she is a beautiful person ."

" W…..what ?' whispered Carly, caught off guard as he left the apartment and she sunk to the floor , more shaken than after her confrontation with Robbie earlier this morning .

Gibby thought she was beautiful ?

Carly shook her head, inwardly cringing because it was absurd and it was Gibby .

It didn't matter that Sam and Freddie had been saying the same things to her for weeks but somehow the harshness of his words had gotten through the façade that she had worked so hard to build and Carly felt them start to falter .

That couldn't happen , she didn't want to go back to the hurt and the lonely .

When …..how did Gibby know her that well ?

It was a frightening thought as were the small shiver of emotion that she felt from his passionate outburst at her but she couldn't think about that right now .

She didn't want t o go back to the lonely like that or the sadness that followed.

Dammit Gibby !

" Carly ?" Trina's voice was soft and etched with concern as she noticed the brunette curled up on the floor ," what's the matter ? Are you alright ? "

Carly wiped her eyes on the back of her sleeve and avoided her ." Why wont people just leave me alone ?"

Trina took a tentative step closer ." People love you , Carly , that's why "

" Not always the right ones " muttered Carly , running upstairs , her mind a endless whirl of truths and realizations she didn't want to acknowledge but because of stupid Gibby she was actually thinking about everything that she had done and the repercussions .

She wished that she could turn back time but knew she couldn't .


	22. Chapter 22

A/N: Big thanks you toSouthernB3lle for being my cheerleader and for being kind enough to loan me Jade's family from the Dream makers of Hollywood . If you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to rush right over and do so because its wonderful .

Disclaimer : Still don't own anything DS related , just playing in his worlds .

" That went well . Didn't it ?" Beck brought up as he and Jade walked into the lobby of the hotel they were staying at ," you can't tell me that Brooklyn doesn't sound better to you than the University of Seattle ? You loved the idea of all the freedom and creativity it offers, Jade ."

" Alright , it does sound pretty cool " agreed a reluctant Jade ," and it has courses that we're both into which is a plus , if we're doing this here ."

" I'm just happy that we're both agreeing on our options, babe " told Beck, stopping as he noticed two familiar faces in the lobby ," uh, Jade, is that your mom and Mikey ?"

" What are you talking about ?" questioned Jade as her younger brother spotted them and raced across the lobby , slamming into his sister and hugging her .

" JADE! "

Jade patted his head and looked down at him ." Hey Mikey, what are you doing here ? I thought Dad was making you go to that lame summer camp back home ."

Mikey turned his blue eyes upon her ." I thought it was stupid so Mom said I didn't have to go so we came here for vacation and to see your new play , Jade "

Theresa West joined them with a smile on her face. " Jade , " greeted Theresa , leaning in to hug her daughter ," oh don't look so angry to see us . I know we are here early but I thought it might be nice ..a mini vacation for the family ."

" I hate family vacations ," groaned Jade ," Mom, you know I'm here with my friends."

" Hi Mrs. West ," greeted always polite Beck who got along well with her mother ," ignore her , we've been crazy busy with the play and a college meeting today so she is a cranky Cathy …it's good to see you."

" Beck, don't " scowled Jade , shooting daggers at him ," I am not cranky ."

" Just a little bit …" Beck placed an arm around her waist then addressed her mom again ," Is Mr. West with you ?"

He felt Jade stiffen beside him and squeezed her waist ." Jade , relax, babe ."

Theresa smoothed her skirt of her shirtdress and placed an arm on Mikey's shoulder

.

" Phillip is still in his meetings, " explained Theresa ," you know how much of a workaholic your father is , Jade , but he promised me that he should arrive in Seattle in plenty of time for your play."

" It's fine, Mom," dismissed Jade , trying not to be affected by his absence ," you don't have to make up excuses for the man. It's …kind of cool that you came though ."

As much as her mother could annoy her sometimes , she had always been supportive of what Jade wanted to do with her life, even if she didn't always agree with her .

" Mikey and I had hoped you would feel that way " said Theresa ," and we wont cut in on your time with your friends …."

" Is Andre here too? " asked Mikey, interrupting them . He thought that Andre was way cool and he would always let him hang with him and let him play around with his keyboard .

" Andre's hanging with Tori , kiddo " told Jade ," Beck, you want to drop him by the gank's apartment so he can hang out with him for a few hours ?"

" That would be totally cool . Will you drive me there, Beck ?" begged an excited Mikey.

" We just got our room, Mikey, " cut in Theresa , " and Jade hasn't even asked Andre if that is alright with him ? He and Tori might be on a date and it would be rude if Beck just dropped you off there and expected him to hang out with you."

" Andre wont mind ," dismissed Jade , without a thought ," Tori might which is fun ."

" I think you can wait , young man ," decided his mother ," maybe Beck and Jade wouldn't mind having supper with us once we get settled in a bit if they don't have plans ?"

" But Mom, I just sent Andre a text ! " Mikey handed his sisters phone back to her then addressed her and her boyfriend ," Do you guys have plans ? Are there any cool pizza places in Seattle ? "

" Freddie and Gibby told us about a place that has good pies ," informed Beck ," and they even have a gluten free vegan pizza , Jade , so we could take them there ."

Jade scowled ," Whatever but we're not eating right now and I still need to kill Robbie ."

" You don't need to kill Robbie when he is trying to win back Cat ," said Beck in a soothing voice ," um, Mrs. West , I think that Jade and I are going to go to our rooms now and rest for a while ."

" Why do you want to kill Robbie ? Can I help , Jadey ?" interrupted her brother .

" I told you not to call me that ! You know I hate that ! "

" Cat calls you that , I've heard her " defended Mikey, " I want to swim ."

" Let's go to our room and I'll pretend that Jade and Beck have separate rooms ," Theresa steered her son in the direction of their hotel room on the first floor ," you two can text my phone when you are ready to go to supper ."

" Whatever " sighed Jade as Beck directed her to the elevator and they went to their own room . Once they were alone, she tossed her bag on the floor and paced restlessly across the floor , emotions plastered all across her face .

" I can't believe they came here ! You know what this means , don't you ?"

" It means that they love and support you , Jade " said Beck, knowingly .

Jade rolled her eyes upwards at her boyfriend ." Mom saw Loves Lament when we put it on at Hollywood Arts ! No, beck, it means that my father isn't coming and Mom is trying to make it up to me which is why she dragged Mikey here with her ! "

" You don't know that he isn't coming , babe ," Beck grasped her shoulders ," and I think it's cool that your Mom is here . Stop freaking out ….your Dad still has plenty of time to show before the festival even starts ."

Jade leaned into him, her voice soft and vulnerable ." He missed every performance that we did at school, Beck, and he didn't even care . I don't know why I care so much about it now ….I should know better by now ."

Beck kissed her , soothingly , lovingly ." Because he's still your Dad and as much as you despise the man, you love him ."

" Stop being so deep ," Jade wrapped her arms around his neck," I hate that ."

He pressed a kiss to her temple ." Look it's been a hell of a day ," decided Beck," and I have an idea that could be relaxing . Why don't we change into our bathing suits and go hang out in the hot tub while Mikey swims ?"

" I do love hot tubs ," conceded Jade , her mouth lifting in a slight smile ," and it does relax me plus Mom wouldn't be on my case so much if we hung out with them ."

" So hot tub ? "

" I can pretend to be Morgana getting her witch on and boil my brother ," grinned Jade , rolling her shoulders," he enjoys when I terrorize him."

" You are sick but I love you " teased Beck, tossing her the black bikini .

Looks like a few hours relaxing in the hot tub was just what they needed to unwind .

************************************HAF*********** *********************

Bushwell Plaza

" I have an interview with Isabelle Fizzenne and it looks promising ," explained Trina who had been on the phone all morning with Ms. Mackenzie "and they loved my photos . If Isabelle loves them as much as Ivy does then it's a real, huge possibility that I may have a job as the Feet of Fizzene ."

Tori gaped at her sister, unbelieving ." Is this some sort of practical joke ?"

" They actually paid you and took pictures of your feet ?" jumped in Andre , who flanked Tori's side for support . Trina had insisted on them having a serious talk and Tori didn't want to be alone with her sister for the fear of killing her or saying something she would regret .

She had been trying to be supportive and give Trina the benefit of the doubt .

" It's not a joke ," growled Trina , heaving a disappointed sigh ," and I'm not making it up either, Andre ! Don't even ask me it …"

Carly crossed her arms over her chest, annoyed ." I don't know why I have to listen to this because I don't care about her new job "

Spencer slid an arm around Trina's waist and sent her an encouraging smile before addressing his sister .

" This is amazing for Trina ," replied Spencer, not mincing words ," I want this for her and I think if she gets this job, it will be perfect for her and even if it doesn't pan out, something will . I know that something has gone down with all of you guys and I get that you don't feel like you can tell me about it , kiddo, and I'm not crazy about it ."

" I'm going to my room " decided Carly , turning on her heel .

" No, not until you listen to us ," cut in Spencer , sounding authoritive and stopping her in her tracks ," I get ..we get that you all think that what Trina and I have together is a big joke to you and we let it ride because you have your own chizz your dealing with but not anymore . We love each other and Trina is going to move in here with me once she gets things settled back in California, that is ."

" You don't even care what I want anymore ? Is that it , Spencer ? " asked Carly, her feelings cracking that her brother was living his life while hers was still in ruins .

" I care very much about you, Carly, but I don't want to be alone when your off in college living your life either . I love Trina and I called Dad last night and spoke to him about our decision to live together "

" I need to sit down " Carly dropped on the couch as did a stunned Tori . They had been told all of this earlier on but now it didn't seem so funny and seemed like a reality .

" Told you they fell in love , Tori " said Andre, gently as he touched her shoulder.

Trina sat on the edge of the couch by her baby sister ." This isn't just me flying by the seat of my talent, Tori ," Trina was as serious as she had ever been ," Spencer and I talked a lot about this because there is a lot to talk about . I know the Fizzene thing might not work but I'll die if it doesn't and find something else ….but I know moving to Seattle and being with Spencer is what I want to do with my life ."

" How can you know that ? You never know anything , Trina ?" asked Tori, concerned .

" I just do ," Trina met Spencer's gaze and love shone in his eyes towards her ," we do, both of us so this is us hoping you guys can put aside all this chizz and maybe support us . "

" You talked to Dad and you didn't wake me ?" asked Carly, missing her family .

Spencer could only nod ." Dad is fine " replied Spencer , reaching to squeeze her hand , comforting ," and other than being shocked and he was really shocked actually, he likes Trina and the three of us discussed everything for about twenty minutes before he had to go. "

" Dad is just alright with Trina moving in with you ?" demanded Carly , " no .."

" He was apprehensive until I reminded him that it wont be long until you'll be heading off to college ," repeated Spencer for what seemed like the hundredth time ," I would really like for you to be okay with this ,Carly, before Trina's folks get here ."

" You called your parents ?" asked Andre at the same time as Tori muttered ," Mom and Dad are coming to Seattle ?"

" Yes ," Trina bit her lip," they didn't really take it well when I told them my plans so, um, they were taking the first flight out here they could get ." She gulped , nervously ," I expect them here any minute now actually ."

" Trina, this is nuts ! Mom will kill you ! " said Tori, noting the crestfallen expression on her older sisters face and felt horrible ," but Andre and I will tell her that you and Spencer are the real deal , if that helps ."

" It will," Trina embraced her sister ," thank you, Tori ."

" I'm not hugging you, Trina , but I'll help you guys out too " he offered, helpfully .

" I appreciate that, Andre " Trina smiled , warmly at him ," cause I'm really nervous about this . We actually figured they would show up last night and drag me home ."

" Which they didn't ," Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist ," it's a good sign ."

Andre stroked Tori's hair , gently ." We should take notes on this , baby," added Andre ," in case , we decide we want to move in together after high school ."

" Good point " conceded his girlfriend, dropping a swift kiss on his lips .

********************************HAF*************** ********************

" Gibby , where's the fire ," inquired Sam as she and Freddie joined their friend at a table at the Groovy Smoothie ," what's going on ?"

" Carly has lost her mind ," stated Gibby, not skipping a beat ," I think it has something to do with Brad . Did we miss something between them when they broke up ?"

" We must have ," allowed Freddie , who had also given it considerable thought ," I thought they broke up ,agreed to stay friends, and were cool with each other ."

" That was what Carly swore went down but I'm with Freddie on this one , Gib ," told Sam, taking a drink of her own smoothie," what do you know ?"

Gibby rubbed his chin and met their curious gazes with a serious expression on his own .

He'd deliberated on how much to confide in his friends to avoid a ribbing from them over his feelings for Carly but decided this was too important to worry about some teasing .

" I sort of told Carly off about how she's been acting with the dressing and acting like a gank ," explained Giby, expecting the wrath of Sam," and you know hitting on Robbie . I really think that Brad did something to her ….she just wont say ."

Sam sipped the last of her drink, took Freddie's and finished it off before fixing Gibby with a look that had made lesser men cringe and run for the hills .

However , they were all bugging over Carly so he did neither of those things .

" Wait , you told Carly off ? Why didn't you tell us this sooner ? "

" I was mad , Carly was mad ," answered Gibby, truthfully ," I wasn't really sure of anything till this morning after I thought about what she said …Brad must have hurt her feelings really deep to make her act like this …un-Carly ."

" I could call him " suggested Freddie , pulling out his pear phone which Sam took from his hand with a withering look at her boyfriend .

" The dude isn't going to tell you anything , Freddie ," snapped Sam, smartly ," hell, Carly hasn't told any of us so it's gotta be bad chizz . You have a plan ?"

" Not really but I think she's close to cracking ," admitted a worried Gibby ," I felt it from her when we argued . Robbie told her flat out he doesn't want her then Carly and I fought …..she's going to lose it soon, guys ."

Sam sighed , and felt Freddie squeeze her hand for comfort and support .

" Intervention ?" asked Freddie , under his breath .

" Maybe, I don't know what else to do if she's not talking ," admitted Sam, who was at wits end ," Gibby, did you talk to Spencer about this chizz ? Maybe since she isn't talking to all of us , she'll talk to him . It works that way sometimes …"

" He's talking to her right now " answered Gibby ," I hope he gets through better than I did ."

" If he doesn't then we gang up on her and get her to spill her guts " decided Sam , " I need another smoothie ."

" I'll go get it ," Gibby rose , glad to have something to do," I could use a drink, too ."

As he headed towards the counter , Freddie nudged a kiss out of his girlfriend that had her returning the kiss with questioning eyes .

" She'll be alright , Sam, " reassured Freddie , taking her hand into his ," this is good ."

" Gibby's got a thing for Carly " deduced Sam, matter of fact .

" Big time thing for Carly but she's not into him, " answered Freddie ," you know that as well as I do . I kind of feel bad for him …"

" I don't know ," mused Sam, who knew her best friend like the back of her hand ," I know it's just Gibby but she argued when him about all this bad girl gank thing and let him tell her off . I find that highly suspicious , Freddork ."

" I guess stranger things have happened " agreed Freddie , glancing backwards where his friend was chatting with T-Bo's assistant near the counter .

" Like you and me " Sam kissed him quickly ," anything is possible ."

**********************************HAF************* ****************

" Trina, Tori, " Holly Vega pounded furiously on the Shay door," open up right this second ! I knew this whole vacation thing was a bad idea from the start ."

" Holly ," said a much more collected David," Tori hasn't done anything and there is no need for yelling . We talked about this on the plane , honey ."

" We don't know what our daughter has been doing with Andre while Trina is obviously shacking up with an older man ! Can't you just arrest the man so we can take the girls home "

" I want to hear Trina out first and other than being a fire hazard , I don't see anything in this Spencer Shay's records to indicate he is bad news ," David was trying to keep an open mind ," Holly, she called us and told us what she is doing . When has our oldest daughter ever done that ?"

" Never but it doesn't mean anything ! Trina has no sense , David ," argued Holly ," I love our daughter but its just the plain truth . I don't like this ….."

" I'm not thrilled either but we've raised the girls right and we need to listen to what Trina's plans include and hear her out " stated David , dryly ," I am sure I mentioned numerous times to this Spencer that I am a cop ."

" Mom! Dad ! " Tori plastered a smile on her face and opened the door ," hi! Wow , I can't believe that you came to Seattle to visit me and Trina ."

" You know what your sister is up to, young lady ?" demanded Holly as she and David entered the apartment , taking in the retro styled furniture and the various sculptures scattered around the loft ," and don't you lie to me and your father ."

" I'm not lying ," muttered Tori, taking a seat beside Andre and Carly on the couch ," come on in and meet Spencer and Carly Shay ."

Spencer stepped forward , holding out his hand , and approached the couple , hoping he didn't look like a slob or worse . He'd put on his best jeans and a nice shirt , combed his hair , and hoped like hell to make a good impression on them .

They held the future , his future with Trina, in their hands and it was risky .

" Hi Mr. .and Mrs. Vega ," said a cordial Spencer ," I'm Spencer and that is my sister , Carly and welcome to our home and Seattle ."

" Hi " Carly managed a polite smile ," nice to meet you."

She was tempted to leave but something stopped her -maybe it was natural curiosity like Andre and Tori had or the fact that her brother rarely asked her for help so she stayed .

It looked like it would be interesting if one could go by the furious look on Holly Vega's face that seemed directed at Spencer .

" Hi Mom, Dad ," Cautious, Trina stepped forward and met them face to face ," you didn't really have to come here , if you would have just listened when I tried to talk to you about it in the first place ."

" How did a summer modeling job wind up with you shacking up with this …this man and wanting to move to Seattle , Trina ?" demanded Holly , who had imagined all the worse case scenarios in her head since the phone call the night before .

" Did you take advantage of my 19 year old daughter ? Don't even consider lying because I can get a lie detector in here in a heartbeat , mister " contributed David , his tone less volatile than his wife's.

" My brother wouldn't do that ! " blurted out Carly, defending her brother .

" Spencer didn't take advantage of me, " spoke up Trina ," we fell in love ."

" It's true ," said Spencer , hoping he didn't flub this up ," I mean, I wouldn't do that . I am in love with Trina …it caught us both by surprise but I do love her ."

Holly shook her head , staring him down and paced across the floor , anxious .

" Trina is 19 years old and you , you are a lot older than her ! There is no way that this is happening ," declared Holly ," I wont allow it ."

" Mom, I know its crazy but I've seen them together ," added Tori," it's the real thing ."

" I don't want to get involved but what Tori said is true ," contributed Andre , putting it out there ," Trina and Spencer are in love with each other . I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes ."

" I can have you thrown into jail , you know that ! Trina told you I'm a cop ."

" Dad , stop it," stated a frustrated Trina ," you and Mom have been on me about growing up and taking control of my life so guess what ? I am and I did and my life is here with Spencer and I might just have a new job …"

" He can barely afford to pay you ," tossed out Holly , who had made David look up any records available on the man ," that doesn't count as a job ."

" Actually I just did some feet modeling for Fizzene shoes and I have an interview with Ms. Fizzene later this week ," continued Trina , confidently ," and if that doesn't work out , I will find another job. This is what I want to do …"

" What about college ? " asked David , who had always wondered if it was for his oldest daughter . She had ambition but just not the same as her younger sister .

He had always wanted the best for her but this was the first time that he felt as if he saw some real maturity with Trina and as much as he wanted to beat the pulp out of Spencer , there was something about him that he liked .

Maybe it was the fact that he didn't try to suck up to him or run like a loser .

" I think she needs to come home with us and go to California University "

" No, Mom, I'm not ," Trina met her parents steady gaze with one of her own ," okay, I will come home and get all of my stuff but I am moving in with Spencer ."

" You'll have to pay your own bills ," reminded David, knowing her penchant for spending the money and not caring who paid the credit card ," your mom and I wont do it for you. That comes with the responsibility of being an adult …your on your own ."

" I understand that , Dad ," said Trina, holding onto Spencer's arm, tightly ," and believe it or not, Spencer and I have talked about all of this and we're going to make it work . This is my life and this is what I want …I've never been really sure about anything in my life but this is really clear to me ."

" I'm not using your daughter ," Spencer was sincere as Carly had ever heard him ," and I'll take care of her ., I swear . I'll take whatever tests you want me to, Mr. Vega, but you'll find out that I'm a horrible liar and that I love your daughter ."

" Call Ga…call Ted " holly caught herself ," I don't know if I trust him."

" I'm still not completely sold on this whole idea but Trina isn't a child anymore ," replied David , knowing he would have to let her grow up and live her life ," and if this is what she wants to do with her life then alright . "

" David ! Trina can barely take care of herself and Tori …oh my God , are you pregnant ?"

" Mom, I am not pregnant ," Trina was outraged ," and thank you, Dad ."

She moved to hug him and he wrapped her in a tight hug, kissing her head ." I meant what I said about your bills , young lady, but I'm actually good with this ."

" you'll love Spencer , Dad ," grinned a happy Trina ," he's amazing ."

" He must be something special to love you back , baby " answered David , kissing her head .

" He is wonderful and I really do love him " expressed Trina , " so, how are you and Mom ? Still doing the counseling ?"

" We are and your mom has moved back home " told David ," we're trying to make it work so maybe cut your Mom some slack , for me ."

" Maybe "

" For the record , I think this is all wrong and I don't agree with your father but obviously my word means nothing to you anymore ' Holly sunk into the nearest chair, distressed .

" Uh, I actually care , Mrs. Vega ," offered Spencer ," and I know that Trina does too . She's been worried about your reaction to us for a while now which is why we waited to call you . Why don't we all go out for supper and talk ?"

" I think that's a good idea, Spencer ," said David in agreement ," it will give us a chance to get to know each other better . You and I can have a man to man talk too, son ."

" Of course, sir " answered Spenser , gulping down his nerves ," I would like that ."

" Good ," David moved to his other daughter who sat beside her boyfriend ," Tori and Andre can join us tonight . We'll make it a family thing …."

" Tori and I are back together , Mr. Vega " inserted Andre , in case it wasn't obvious .

" I expected as much ," replied David ," and Andre , do you and I need to have a little man to man talk tonight as well ? "

Andre let out a breath ." Uh, absolutely not ."

Tori groaned in mortification. " Dad , I'm not the one moving out ! "

" I don't want you to get any ideas from this , Tori , because you are not Trina ."

" Nope I am not which is why this whole thing is ridiculous , Dad " informed Tori," not to mention that Andre and I still have a whole year of school left still ."

" I know, I know "

Trina moved into the circle of Spencer 's arms and lifted her wide eyes to meet his own.

" That didn't go as bad as I thought it would ," muttered Trina , smiling into his eyes ," and I knew that dad would like you."

" Your mom still is against us " reminded Spencer , under his breath ," and other than your dad terrifying the chizz out of me , it did go well ."

" You ready for me moving in , honey ?' asked Trina , needing his reassurance .

" Gibby is going to help me make you shelves for your shoes in the closet "

" I love you "

" I love you , too "

Carly watched her brother with Trina and listened with rapt attention to the Vega's and it hit her square in the stomach that life was changing and that her man-child brother had really found the woman of his dreams and her façade started to crumple just enough for her to put aside her bitterness and be happy for him .

Whatever she felt , it was time for her to stop being selfish .

Gibby's words still haunted her , not so much the him yelling at her but she had never witnessed him being so strong and confident before , it had gotten to her .

She just wasn't quite ready to be old Carly , not just yet .

Carly stood , planted herself in front of Spencer and Trina and managed a thin smile .

" I'll make us reservations at a nice restaurant ," replied Carly , making the first honest attempt with Trina ," and give me some time with your Mom, Trina, I can convince her what a good man my brother is and how you got lucky when you hit him ."

" I appreciate that , Carly ," smiled Trina , " thank you ."

" Might as well get used to having you two around the apartment " muttered carly , quietly," besides you make my brother the happiest I've ever seen him ."

" I think we should all go eat now before Mrs. Vega has another meltdown " said Andre , vocalizing what he knew they were all thinking ," or before anyone else shows up here ."

It seemed like home was a lot closer now even though Trina had found hers here in Seattle and not Chicago like she had dreamed of , the reality was much better .

Bye , bye California , hello Seattle .


	23. Chapter 23

" Beck, wake up "

Beck groaned , opened his eyes, and fixed them blearily on his girlfriend who was resting on his chest . " Babe, it's early "

Jade pushed her dark hair out of her eyes and lifted her blue-green eyes upon him , a contemplative expression on her face as she folded her arms and placed them on his chest .

" What is Robbie doing ?"

Beck flicked his eyes towards the clock, noting the time was much too early for his liking and wondered through his sleep deprived mind what she was up too .

" Jade, it's 7:04 in the morning ," answered Beck, under his breath," I imagine that Robbie is sleeping . Please don't kill our friend in his sleep ….I thought you had given up that whole idea ."

" I would like to kill him but then it'd devastate Cat ," mused Jade , who had a brilliant idea while she had been sleeping ," then we would have to put up with Robbie and Cat separately which is worse than if they would break up. I don't want to deal with them …you know how they get ."

Beck traced patterns idly on her back and tried to wake up enough to focus .

They had had a nice swim and supper with Theresa and Mikey earlier that evening and despite her annoyance at them, he knew that Jade had been happy to see them in Seattle .

She was still on edge about her father showing up to see Love's Lament so he didn't understand how she could go from parental freak outs to whatever it was that was bugging her about their friends .

" Rob has a plan "

" He needs to kick it in gear ," decided Jade , matter of fact ," he can't give Cat too much time to think and bug out about their relationship if he wants to convince her he still loves her ."

Beck knew by the tone of her voice that she was planning something and was almost afraid to ask why . Jade didn't like to interfere unless it was about Tori or scaring people for fun .

" Jade , they can work it out by themselves " reminded Beck, kissing her collarbone .

" I'm not some Tori," dismissed Jade with a smirk," I just thought if they ..If I give them a shove they can get together before its time for my play to start and they screw up everything I've worked my butt off for , Beck."

" They wouldn't do that to you or your play , Jade " said a knowing Beck , rubbing his hands over her shoulders and felt her relax , caught the slight sexy smile on her lips .

" I can't take that risk ," Jade sat up , pulling the covers with her ," give me the phone ."

" Jade , don't do it " pleaded Beck, knowing he had to try even if she didn't listen .

" I know what I'm doing ," Jade picked up the hotel phone ," and you're going to help me ."

He started to make a crack about how she was picking up Tori's nosiness but decided he valued his vital body parts so he shut up . He and Andre would get a kick laughing over their girlfriends crazy later on but for right now, he really wanted to either go back to sleep, have sex with Jade , or have the sex with Jade then they could both sleep .

" Sure , babe "

Jade dialed a familiar number while a curious Beck watched her .

" Huh, hello "

Jade lifted her voice , making it sound higher and very much like her best friend .

" Rooooobbie ," said Jade , trying to think like the little redhead ," I…I just want you to know that I still love you ." She made a face at Beck,who was trying not to laugh ," I just need to know you love me back still …"

Beck shook his head at her ." What are you doing ?"

" Cat , you know I have never stopped loving you " swore Robbie on the other end ," how about I take you out for breakfast , sweetie ? I'll buy you strawberry waffles and we can talk …"

" I don't know …." Jade waited a beat then hung up the telephone and turned to Beck," there and now he will call Cat back and make her think about their first breakfast date and chizz like that ."

" How is it that you sounded exactly like Cat ?"

Jade rolled her eyes . " Really? You doubt me, Beck ," said a teasing Jade , lowering her lips to his ," I am an amazing actress besides Cat's ..she's my best friend ."

In one swift motion, Beck rolled her beneath him, pinning her to the bed .

" The many facets of Jade West that I love " declared Beck, kissing her with abandon as they greeted the morning as lovers do , mind, body , soul , entwined .

*******************************HAF**************** *******************

" Freddie , " Robbie knocked quietly on his friends door ," are you up? I need to talk ."

He pressed his ear to the door ." This is really important ."

" Crap , Freddie , what is the dorkwad doing ? He's going to wake your Mom and she's going to know that I stayed over " Sam punched her boyfriend in the chest and began to pull clothes from the floor to put on ," Shapiro, go away ! "

" Oh dear ," Robbie winced , apologetic," sorry, Sam , Freddie , I don't want to interrupt anything but it's important ."

" Go talk to Andre " hissed Sam, throwing on a tee shirt and looking for her shorts .

Freddie groaned and began pulling on clothes . " Get dressed , Sam, " ordered Freddie , concerned for his friend ," Give us a minute, Robbie, and pipe down so you don't wake up my mother ."

" Sorry " Robbie was sheepish ," I'll be quiet and not say a word ."

A moment later , Sam reached out, grabbed Robbie by the collar of his shirt , and yanked him into the bedroom, closing the door as quietly as she could as she tossed him in a corner .

" You couldn't have woken up Andre or called one of your friends who actually care about you ? " Sam lit into him ," Did you bring me food ?"

Robbie colored in embarrassment and shook his head ." No, sorry ," apologized Robbie ," I considered waking Andre but he had dinner with the Vegas and I can't imagine how bad that was so I thought it might be safer not to wake him ."

" You've been here with Freddie all night , Sam ? How did you get in ? Never mind, none of my business " dismissed Robbie , ignoring the death stares she was giving him ," I 'm really sorry I interrupted . "

" She has a key " informed Freddie , matter of fact ," what's wrong, Robbie ?"

" I'm going to take Cat out for waffles ," explained Robbie ," I wondered if you would help me set up the rest of my plan for her ….unless you think helping me is a conflict of interest for you because of the Carly incident ."

Sam glowered at him." You need punched in the face "

" Step in line , Sam, you can join Jade and Tori in killing me but I am trying to make things right with Cat ," swore Robbie , plaintively ," and Tori is terrible at helping with surprises . I just need you to pick up some things for me and set things up …."

" I'm not happy with you confusing Carly but sure , I'll help you " agreed Freddie .

" You got to her somehow and I still don't get it " admitted Sam, perplexed ," but I actually believe that you are in love with Cat so I wont kill you yet ."

" I appreciate that , Sam ," Robbie said down on the desk chair ," here's my plan ."

**************************HAF********************* *********************

" I was so happy to hear from you this morning , Robbie ," admitted Cat, itching to take his hand in hers but still the tiniest bit uncertain," I didn't even care that you woke me up. You know how much I love our breakfast dates ! "

Robbie hesitated a second before taking her hand , entwining their fingers .

" I know ," answered Robbie, following his heart and not overanalyzing everything ," our romantic vacation hasn't exactly been what we had planned and that's my fault , Cat ."

He led her to a table at the small diner and held a chair out for her to sit . Cat smiled her thanks and sent him a warm smile that gave him the confidence that he needed .

" It wasn't just you ," murmured Cat, brown eyes downcast ," my jealousy got kind of crazy there for awhile there too but I promise I am going to work on that , too . It's our relationship, Robbie …."

" I don't think Seattle is the right place for us to consummate our love either ."

She felt the blush rise to her cheeks but she knew it was something that had been there between them and maybe that had been a small part of things .

Robbie sat across from her, covering her small hand with his ." I agree , Cat "

Cat took a deep breath, silently counted to three ( she just loved three ) in her head, before lifting her brown eyes to meet Robbie's and finding the love mirrored there .

It was what she had needed and knew that trusting her heart was the right thing to do.

" Robbie , I believe you about Carly ," says Cat, refusing to stumble over the gank's name like before ," and I hate us fighting like this . I want it to stop , the fighting , I mean, not the part about you and me being together ."

" I hate the fighting too," Robbie smiled at their linked hands ," and I know I messed up,Cat , but I swear to you that I will spend every day proving to you how much I love you and how important our relationship is to me ."

Cat touched her heart with her hand then smiled , lovingly at him.

" We both made mistakes , Robbie " admitted Cat, who had accepted her part in this . It hadn't been fair to blame everything bad on just Robbie , her behavior hadn't been the greatest either but they needed to put it behind them now .

Robbie scooted his chair beside her and stroked her hair , happy when she sighed and relaxed against his shoulder as if they hadn't spent two days barely talking .

" That we wont ever make again "

His lips moved over hers in the softest, most loving of kisses that was a reaffirmation of their love . The fighting was done with and they were back to good .

" I love you, Robbie "

" I love you, Cat "

" Hate to interrupt this teen movie here but I have waffles for you kids " cut in the waitress , making a disgusted expression of their sapfest at the table .

" Waffles , yay "

" Strawberry waffles for my beautiful girlfriend "

Cat smiled, lovingly at him. " I'm kind of proud of us ," brought up Cat ," I mean, it has been a horrible , really rough couple of days and the fighting has been bad but we didn't break up. We worked through our problems and the love never went away …."

" I never stopped loving you, " confessed a heartfelt Robbie ," I wont ever ."

" Me too " Cat pressed a soft kiss against his lips ," we should just leave the fighting to Beck and Jade and we can just be us…. "

" I am quite good with that ," agreed Robbie with a heavy sigh," I need to tell you something ..it's not something I'm proud of and I am afraid you'll be disappointed in me again , Cat, but I heard Rex again . " He gulped down a nerve ," Insulting me and telling me he had warned me I would screw things up between us ."

Cat dropped her fork on the table and shook her head , stunned . " Robbie , no ," She touched his cheek, tenderly ," you don't need to be hearing Rex . He isn't with us any longer …you don't need him ."

Robbie kissed the side of her mouth ." Rex was in my head but not anymore ," reassured Robbie , feeling much better knowing they had no doubts or secrets between them ," I have you, Cat, and that's all that matters to me ."

" Our fighting made you hear your dead, evil puppet ? " Cat was distressed ," Robbie , you don't have to worry about us anymore . We're good now , I promise ."

" Good " Robbie hugged her ," I was afraid I made you faint or got your anxiety up ."

" I was very mad but I didn't faint this time " answered Cat, proud of herself ," but Jade really wants to kill you but I talked her out of it ."

" I am glad that you did ," Robbie stroked her hair ," now that we're alright , how is your brother ? With everything that has happened I forgot to ask you , sweetie …."

" Oh Steven is doing much better this time ," answered Cat, excitedly ," everyone loves the new doctor which is cool since they don't always like them . Oh, and Mom says that my brother is doing really well on the new medicine ."

" Wonderful ! So I can take you to visit him at the hospital when we get home "

" I think so unless something changes " Cat lifted a strawberry and fed him," and I still want us to take that cooking class together when we get home ."

" Yes " Robbie kissed her, tasting the sweetness of the fruit on her lips ," mmm, you taste super sweet and yummy ."

Cat threaded her fingers through his curls and kissed him, lightly ." You're so silly "

" Which is one of the reasons you are in love with me , Cat " Robbie couldn't wait to take her to her surprise and felt as if these last few days in hell were finally over .

" Yes that is true ," says Cat, seriously ," and I wont let anything or another girl ever come between you and me , Robbie ."

Cat would take care of that very soon herself .

**************************HAF********************* *********************

Carly felt as if she had been ran over by a big truck , her mind hadn't shut down once during the night , a nightmare of thoughts of all of the boys that she had cared for throughout the years, and her feelings for one Robbie Shapiro . Her friends accusations bothered her more than she cared to admit and she was starting to believe that they hadn't been completely wrong about some of them or the fact that she wasn't acting like herself since their friends from California had arrived . She had thought being the sexy bad girl would be fun and make her life more exciting but it felt as if she had made things more of a mess . Fighting with her best friends wasn't what she had wanted either .

Carly sighed , pushing her hair off of her forehead , and blew out as breath as she sat up in her bed, glancing at the empty room , wishing she had done things differently .

She would never live down that skanky dress for as long as she lived .

Sam really should have knocked her in the head with the butter sock and as she felt the ache in her chest from Robbie's polite rejection, she deliberated whether the whole making him love her thing was even viable .

Sure , she did care about Robbie but was it really love ?

She had been so sure but now after a restless night and lack of sleep, Carly felt as if everything was crumbling right before her and she didn't know how to pick up the pieces of herself without having a mental breakdown .

" Carly ," Spencer knocked on the side of the doorframe then poked his head in to find his sister still in bed and in her pajamas ," you okay ? It's almost nine in the morning …are you sleeping in today ?"

Carly dangled her feet over the bed and managed a half hearted small at him .

" I was thinking about things and getting up ," admitted Carly, softly ," I figured you would be setting up your art at the festival today or with Trina ."

Spencer patted her knee ." Gibby is coming over to help me haul down Hit by Love to the booth ," answered Spencer ," and Trina is at her interview with Ms. Fizzene this morning ." He glanced at his watch ," She should be talking to her right about ..in , two minutes if she is not fashionably late ."

" I'm sorry I was so mean to you and her about your relationship ," managed Carly, feeling very small ," I'm just not used to seeing you like this , Spencer ."

He grinned ." Scary isn't it ," Spencer chuckled at himself ," Trin and I are both equally terrified and happy to have found each other . I'm just really happy that you are coming around , Carly , it's what we ..what I really hoped for ."

" I just had to beat you over the head with it a few times " he joked, searching her face and noticing she looked close to tears ," you want to talk about anything , kiddo ?"

" Not right now , Spencer ," Carly managed a wan smile ," I'm going to get a bath and think about everything for a little while ."

It was time to do some serious soul searching and look at what kind of person she had become then deal with the changes and the repercussions because of her behavior .

Being a bad girl was stressing her out and maybe that wasn't who she was supposed to be.

Spencer gave her a one -armed hug then got up to head back downstairs . " Oh, if you feel like getting a woman's opinion, Trina would be glad to help ."

" I'll remember that "

Carly walked over to her closet, lifting a small pink covered box from beneath a pile of blankets and lifting the lid , she pulled out a picture from months ago, and fought back the buried hurt and anger that it always brought to the surface .

She needed to talk to Sam but she would have to get the guts up first .

Without her bad girl attitude, Carly was afraid to share the truth and her stupidity.

****************************HAF******************* *******************

" So Jade's Mom and little brother are in town ," Cat was saying as she and Robbie walked into the empty theatre ,holding hands" and Tori said her parents got in last night. I wish my family could be here even though I'm just doing costumes and make up but I don't think they have the extra money for a trip ."

" I'm grateful my parents aren't here " replied Robbie, dryly ," I wouldn't want to add to their disappointment in me ."

Cat glanced around the theatre, befuddled ." I don't understand why no one is here yet ," mused Cat, looking out in the audience as if expecting to see Jade and Beck ," we aren't that late this morning and I haven't gotten texts from anyone yet ."

Robbie glanced at his own pear phone , noting he had texts . " Jade is at a meeting with some Broadway big whig who showed up this morning unexpectedly ," explained Robbie ," Beck, Andre, Tori, and Mrs. Oliver were having a late breakfast because Mikey was driving them nuts ."

Cat made a face. " Did Jade let him have her coffee again ? She keeps forgetting little kids shouldn't be drinking coffee because it turns them into jumpers like frogs and other animals that get hyper and jumps ."

" Beck doesn't say ," answered Robbie , not believing his luck that their friends were out ," hmm, this is odd. Burf sent me a text saying that Sinjin met a girl at a museum so they are running late so he can try to work his new moves on her ."

Cat couldn't help but chuckle ." Good for Sinjin "

" Well, my dear heart, we have this big , ole theatre all to ourselves ," teased Robbie, lightly , as she swung his hand about ," whatever shall we do ?"

" Hmm, I wonder …." Cat pursed her lips, leaning in to drop a sweet kiss against his lips ," we could kiss or something , Robbie ."

" Why don't we go backstage where it's more private ," suggested Robbie, eagerly ," since our friends timing is impeccable for interrupting our privacy ."

They stepped back stage with Cat leading him into the small room that served as her work area and he stepped back as her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her , eyes widening in complete surprise .

" Robbie "

An array of pale yellow, white , pale pink, and red roses were scattered around the room, on her vanity, on top of her make up case, tucked in the mirror, laying on the bench and even tucked between costumes , white notes tied to them with a pink ribbon.

A recording of An Affair to Remember could be heard throughout the empty room.

" Our movie , Robbie " Cat picked up a pink rose, inhaled its fragrant scent , and turned her head around to meet his smiling eyes ," how did you do this ?"

" I have my ways and a little help " teased Robbie ," read the notes, sweetie ."

" You're sweet like candy and my sweetheart " Cat felt her eyes glisten ," oh Robbie, It wasn't that long ago when you first called me your sweetheart and I thought you were the kindest, sweetest guy in the whole world ."

" It just slipped out " he admitted , handing her another flower ," and our movie is playing because it was us and will be us ..we fell in love and there was no stopping that or us . No North Ridge girl or anything …..and because you cried on my shoulder the entire movie and kissed my jaw ." He kissed the top of her head ," I was terrified I was dreaming us up ."

" Falling in love was scary and wonderful " admitted Cat, accepting the other rose from him and giggling at the note attached on it ," you brighten my life ."

" Every single second of the day , your cheerful and bright outlook on life makes me smile , Cat "

" You make me feel strong and confident , Cat " reminded Robbie , handing her a few more of the roses so that she was building a pretty bouquet of roses .

" That's because you're my knight in shining armor, Robbie ," Cat pressed a light kiss against his cheek , feeling very loved and special ," you always have been . You always know what I need and you are always here for me ….."

" We fit perfectly together " finished Robbie, handing her a red rose ," and I'm a mess without you . I am sorry ….."

Cat held out a white rose and her brow furrowed in confusion ." I'm sorry from Sleepless in Seattle ?"

He wore a sheepish expression ." That would be me, not Tom Hanks ."

" I love you more than tom Hanks anyway, Robbie Shapiro " Cat sat the bouquet down on top of the table and wound her arms around him," and I do forgive you . This is the most romantic thing that you have ever done for me "

" I love you , always , Cat " Robbie tilted her chin to place the softest kisses on her lip .

" Always , Robbie " Cat wound her arms around his neck, returning his kisses with fervor and love . Their love was true and they could handle anything else the world had in store for them as long as they were together .

" How on Earth could you turn the man down, Jadelyn ," Theresa followed her daughter into the theatre, the rest of the gang flitering in behind them as they had all met up in the parking lot at nearly the same time ," sweetheart, I know this is your play but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity . How often does a big Broadway producer offer a teenage screenwriter a chance to see her play taken to the big stage ?"

" I know, Mother , but he wanted to turn my play into a musical ," Jade was adamant as Cat and Robbie stepped out from backstage to join them ," Love's Lament is not some cheesy musical ! Besides that stuff only happens on Smash ! "

" You didn't try to talk him out of the musical part, babe " brought up Beck, evenly .

" I did but Devin Massey didn't care to listen to what I wanted so he can take his Broadway ideas back to New York with him " declared Jade, solidly .

" I think you're nuts, Jade ," contributed Andre ," the dude is famous and somehow he heard about your play . Taking it to Broadway is like a once in a lifetime deal, I agree with your Mom about this one ."

" I didn't ask for your opinion either , Andre " glowered Jade , shutting her friend up ," and I don't want to talk about it right now . "

" How did he even find out about your play in the first place, Jade ?" asked Tori, curiously ," is he a part of the festival committee ?"

Jade groaned and rolled her eyes ." He apparently saw it when we performed it back at school and thought I was brilliant but he didn't come backstage then and someone from the committee told him I had this spot . I don't care …Love's Lament isn't Hit List and I don't want Morgana singing either …so shut up about it ."

" But it's so exciting , Jade ! A play by Jade West on Broadway would be a dream " contributed Cat, knowing by the way that her best friend was protesting that it meant more than she was letting on and must be a tiny bit scared by the offer.

" Who's going to be on Broadway ?" inquired Sam as she , Freddie , and Gibby joined them in the theatre , noticing that they were more hanging out than working .

" Jade's play might be " offered Robbie , moving over to approach Freddie ," hey Freddie , thanks so much for all of the help with everything . Cat loved it ."

" You two are good again ?" inquired Freddie , hoping that was the case .

" We are so thank you again for helping me with the roses and the sound "

" Glad to help though Sam told me if I ever wrote her cheesy love notes like you did for Cat, she'd find new ways to kill me for that crap ," grinned Freddie , smiling fondly at the blonde love of his life ," my girl doesn't like sweet stuff unless it's food "

" What are you guys doing here ?" inquired Tori," I thought we were avoiding each other because of all the tension with Carly and things …."

" No," answered Freddie , being the rational one in the group," we decided we are going to have an intervention for Carly tonight and just wanted to let you guys know about it . "

" So, don't barge in on us or else Carly will bolt like a scared chicken " added Sam .

Theresa took a seat and shook her heads ."I thought it was just a festival , what have you kids been up to in this town ?"

No one dared to answer that and Theresa was grateful not to know the answer .

" Sorry we're late but Sinjin met a woman ! " announced Burf as he and his best friend interrupted the heaviness in the theatre .

All eyes turned upon the strange duo in something akin to disbelief .

" That's right ," announced Sinjin, who was bouncing on his tip toes and practically floating on air ," and not just any woman - the woman of my dreams ."

" An older woman " contributed Burf, thrilled for his friend .

" She is hot and sexy ," Sinjin sent a glance towards Jade ," no offense, Jade ."

" I don't care " dismissed Jade then to Sam," just fix this thing with Carly this time or I will , Sam ."

" This is going to work "

" Gibby," Cat tapped her friend on the shoulder ," hi ."

"Oh hi Cat ," greeted Gibby, noticing all of the roses she held in her arms ," nice flowers . Did Robbie get them for you ?"

" Yes so I was wondering something ," brought up Cat, " could you take me to Carly's ? "

" I don't know if that's such a good idea, Cat " hesitated Gibby ," seeing as how you girls aren't exactly seeing eye to eye on things and Robbie right now ."

Cat grabbed his hand, determined ." Please take me to see Carly "

" I guess since your being stubborn ," sighed Gibby , knowing better than to argue with girls when they were being demanding ," come on, I'll take you there ."

" Thanks, Gibby " Cat sent out a text and pulled Gibby out of the side door , their friends unaware that they had left and went to speak face to face with the boyfriend stealer .

**************************************HAF********* *********************

Carly felt more like herself as she poured herself a glass of lemonade and came to terms with how she could start making amends for her atrocious behavior with dread settling in the pit of her stomach .

" Carly Shay , we need to have words ! " announced Cat, barging in the apartment, angrily and glaring at the brunette ," the time for me being all nice …well, I am not doing that anymore , you boyfriend stealer ! "

Carly sat her drink on the counter . " Oh, this isn't good ."

Cat 's hands were curled into fists, her jaw set , and fury in her brown eyes actually made Carly pause because the redhead certainly didn't appear to be sweet at the time .

" Well you should have thought about that before you put all of your GANKY hands all over my Robbie ! Robbie is my boyfriend ! I am done standing on the sidelines while you try to seduce him with all the sexy moves you have been using on my boyfriend ! " Cat stomped closer to her ," what do you have to say about that ?"

Cat punched her arm, hard ." Huh ? Admit you want my Robbie ? "

" Ow , that hurt ," Carly rubbed her arm and stepped back from the girl ," okay , I admit it, Cat, I did want Robbie and I did go after your guy ."

" I knew it ! Gank ! " Furious and in a fighting mood , Cat gave it her all ," you think you're so smart , Carly, and you might be but you can't have the love of my life ! Robbie is my soul mate and I don't care what else you do because it wont work, he loves me ! "

A quick flash of flirty Carly all over Robbie was all Cat needed to push her forward and she gave her a shove against the countertop .

." What are you doing , Cat ?" demanded Carly, unnerved by the sudden violence here .

" Fighting for my man ! Robbie is my true love and do your best, I'll beat you to a pulp like ..like squishy orange juice before I let go of my fella ! You do your best ! "

" I don't want to fight you, Cat ! This is crazy ! " brought up Carly, protesting and was afraid of what the pissed off redhead was capable of and the fact that she wasn't a fighter .That was Sam .

" You should have thought of that before you kissed Robbie !" Cat began to chase her around the apartment ," why are you running , carly ? I'm pretty speedy, you know ! You think its okay to be mean and insult me while you try to split me and Robbie up ?"

" I can't help it if Robbie is adorable and sweet ! " screamed Carly , tossing a paintbrush towards the girl chasing her in circles ," I've never been the bad girl before ! I didn't know what I was doing ….will you stop chasing me , Cat ! "

" Only if you stop so I can fight you for him ! " Cat gave her hair a yank and Carly cringed , loudly .

" That was my scalp ! You're crazy ! I don't want to fight you ! I don't fight ! "

" I'm not going to just hand you over my boyfriend so you might as well put up your dukes and fight me for him, chicken girl ! " Cat felt energized and confident and she didn't understand why Carly wasn't fighting her back ," if you really loved Robbie , you would want to punch me for him ! "

" Maybe ..maybe I'm not in love with your boyfriend after all ! " blurted Carly , picking up a lamp off of the table ," please don't make me throw this at you or Spencer will kill me !"

" You kissed my boyfriend on purpose ! Admit it ! " demanded Cat, wanting vengeance .

Jade was right , fighting back was amazing .

She should have done this to Roxanne ! She felt like she could handle anything right now ! She only felt like she was going to puke a little bit but she was getting her point across and it looked like Ms. Smarty pants was actually afraid of her .

" Yes I did but he didn't kiss me back ! He loves you, Cat ! Not me ! "

****************************HAF******************* *******************

" Wait a minute , where is Cat ?" asked Robbie , looking around the auditorium ," Cat ! Oh Cat ! Sweetie , where are you ?'

He glanced backstage but she wasn't there and a frown marred his face . " Oh dear "

" Holy chizz ," Jade held up her phone ," Cat went to have it out with Carly ."

"Uh oh ! Jade , this isn't good ," Tori shook her head, frantically ," Cat might kill Carly !"

" What are you girls talking about ," brought up Robbie ," Cat wouldn't hurt anyone ."

" Except Carly ," brought up jade , knowingly ," Cat's still pretty pissed off about not fighting for you, Robbie, so she 's going to ..you know, fight for you ."

" That makes no sense , Jade ! Cat and I are fine " insisted Robbie ," she doesn't need too."

" No, she does ," answered Jade ," for herself ." She let out a sigh," we should probably go get her so she doesn't actually hurt Carly or anything ."

" Carly can't fight ! Aw man, let's go " Sam grabbed Jade and gave her a shove ," Freddie , we're taking your car ! '

************************************HAF*********** *********************

" Let go of my leg , you crazy ! Didn't you hear me , Cat , you can have your stupid boyfriend ! This is insane ! " Carly tried to kick off Cat who was hanging onto her legs and trying to knock her to the floor to no avail .

" No, no, not until I'm done ! I don't know if I can trust you ! Robbie is sweet and loving and a gentleman and you could be lying about not loving him just to trick me ! I wont let you trick me ! Not again ! " screeched Cat , tears springing from her eyes ," I am in love with Robbie and he is the man I'm going to marry and start a family with . You cant take that away from me ! "

Something inside of Carly began to crack, breaking the hard shell that she had erected months ago since Brad moved and she tried to bang Cat against the back of the couch .

" I know how sweet Robbie is ! Guys like him don't exist anymore and I guess I just wanted him for myself ! He …he didn't even do anything ….God, all Robbie did was be nice to me and ..and I thought here is the kind of guy who would treat ..me special and I. I wanted that ."

" I was so miserable and lonely ," admitted Carly as Cat let go of her leg and stood ," you don't understand how my life was , Cat ! How much I want to be in love and be loved by that special guy who only has eyes for you …..I thought that was Robbie ."

Cat bit the inside of her lip, prepared to try some karate or maybe jump on the girls back again but something made her stop and listen . Maybe it was the fact that this girl before her wasn't fighting her back and looked like she was about to crumple .

" I do understand ," says a thoughtful Cat, calming down a little ," you feel lost and lonely and sometimes you pretend to be happy so that your friends don't see how sad you really are . That's how I felt before I found Robbie but he is mine . He's off limits to you, Carly , and I will do whatever it takes to make you understand that …"

" Cat, don't kill her ! " Jade and Sam burst into the apartment together , frantic .

" Did you use anything I taught you about fighting , Carls ?" Sam took one look at her friend and noticed the way her lips trembled and softened with concern .

Cat spoke up, quietly ," I think we're good here . Everything is under control ."

" I…I screwed up soooo badly with Brad ," Carly's voice broke in jagged pieces as the truth spewed forward ," I ..I was so stupid , Sam and I thought ..I don't know what I thought but I'm a bad , bad person for trying to make Robbie love me . He doesn't you know …you were right all along …he only loves Cat and I'll ..I don't deserve love ."

" I wouldn't go that far ….." muttered Cat , under her breath ," I'm sorry for making you cry ."

But Carly didn't hear Cat as she looked up at her best friend, the pain of the memory haunting her like a ghost ." I deserved what beating Cat was giving me , Sam ! I acted like a gank ! Me, a gank ! I thought Robbie could fix my heart after Brad broke it in a hundred million tiny pieces and stomped on it and …I lied to you and Freddie ! "

Sam rubbed her friends back, trying to soothe her and frightened all of the same for her .

" It's okay , Carls ," said Sam, trying to calm her down while Cat and Jade listened , quietly ," Cat grew a backbone trying to beat you so you did a good thing ."

Carly sobbed harder and kept shaking her head , violently ." I lied about me and Brad ! I ..I can't trust myself anymore ! My judgment and my heart …..I thought I loved him too..Brad ..except I never admitted it to you …cause of cheaty Steven and some-thing …oh God ."

Sam's voice was taunt ." Do I need to kill the bastard ? "

Busy consoling Carly, she never noticed Robbie enter and wrap his arms around Cat or notice Freddie flanking the other side of Carly until their eyes locked in silent communication that they would take care of her together .

" Can you tell us what happened, Carly ? " asked Freddie , tenderly .

" It wouldn't do any good ," Carly's whole body shook along with her broken heart and tears ," I…I'm an idiot and you two had found each other again ! You were so in love so I couldn't tell you ! I wanted to ..I tried a hundred times to tell you, Sam , but I felt like a loser idiot ! I didn't think ….Brad loved me and I thought ..I loved him , too ."

Freddie tightened his jaw ," Did that asshole rape you, Carly ?"

" No," Carly's voice was nearly a whisper ," I…I thought we loved each other ..I wanted to, Freddie …and it was so awful . It wasn't like I thought it was going to be …Brad ..he wasn't the boy I thought he was ….I should have known but …I was a stupid girl about it and I had sex with him ."

" OH MY GOD " breathed Jade , earning her a glare from the others .

" Oh Carls, I'm sorry ," Sam held her , " you should have told me . You didn't need to keep it all in….he's the asshole that I'm going to kill so he cant do this ever again . You thought you loved him …..I get that ."

" No, no, I couldn't ," Carly looked her in the eyes , crazily ," you don't understand how much worse it is ! I ….I thought I was pregnant ! I took like sixteen tests and I called Brad …I ..I wasn't but I have never been so terrified in all my life and he called me a gank ! He …he accused me of sleeping with Freddie and ..lying and see why I acted like a gank ! I'm a horrible , horrible person ! "

" I'm going to destroy him via the internet after I bash his head in for hurting you, Carly "

" You can't tell Spencer ! He'll be furious and he's so happy right now ! Promise me , you wont tell him ! I can't handle it " pleaded Carly then tried to meet Cat and Robbie's gaze ," I am so so sorry , Robbie , Cat ! I deserve your hate ! "

" Cat and I don't hate you " assured Robbie , squeezing her hand ," we understand ."

" I told Cat that it was all me ! I told her you never made a move on me " Carly leaned into Sam, unable to stop the flow of tears and feeling sick ," I'm sorry for everything !I was so messed up and I …couldn't bounce back and ….why can't I fall in love like everyone else ? What's wrong with me ?"

" I was in love with you for years ," Freddie tried to console her ," there is nothing wrong with you, Carly ."

" First Steven then Brad ! I'm unlovable ! " wailed Carly, beside herself and not thinking straight ," and I lied ..me , lying ! I've been lying for months because I've been so ashamed of my life ! "

Suddenly Gibby was there and acting on impulse like his friends had never witnessed before as he knelt beside Carly and wiped a tear with his thumb, softly .

" Your not unlovable ," replied Gibby, his tone strong and firm ," you thought you were in love and you made a bad mistake that scared you. Brad's the asshole for hurting you but there are other guys out there , Carly, who would treat you right and give anything ..even a left foot for you to just smile at them and who know you're a good person ."

Sam and Freddie exchanged baffled glances but continued to let Gibby speak his mind which seemed to have a calming effect on Carly . It was strange .

" Gibby ?"

" I think you need to go back upstairs and have a good cry ," Gibby picked her up in his arms," Sam can come up and keep you company while Freddie and I make you some chicken noodle soup . How's that sound ?"

" Lovely ," Carly swallowed the knot in her throat ," you don't think I'm a horrible gank ?"

" I think your Carly " answered Gibby, directly and carried her upstairs to her room .

Cat sighed as she rested her head against Robbie's shoulder . " Gibby's sweet on her and I feel badly for trying to beat her up now . That poor girl ! "

" So who's up for beating up this Brad dude ? " volunteered Jade , breaking the silence and the heaviness that hung in the air ," that asshole used her and made her cause this whole freaking chizz so I say he deserves a good beating and a burial ."

" I can get us some shovels but wait until I make sure Carly is fine " told Sam.

" I should make that soup ," Freddie headed towards the kitchen, his heart heavy ," no wonder she hasn't been acting herself ! I thought Brad was a good guy ….I'm going to kill him."

" Leave the violence to the pros, baby " replied Sam ,heading upstairs to her best friend ," You and Shapiro could use your nerd tech powers to destroy him online though ."

" I'd be glad to help anyway I can , Freddie " stated Robbie as Cat hugged him, tightly .

He kissed her temple ." You fought for me , my darling dearest ?"

" I had to do this , Robbie ," murmured Cat ," I'm strong too and I had to make her understand that in the only way that I knew she would understand ."

Robbie kissed her , a lovely, dizzying kiss that gentled and soothed ." I've always known you were strong, Cat, but I'm glad that you believe it now ."

Arms around each other , Robbie and Cat knew they could face anything together but right now wasn't about them . Carly needed fixed and they could help .


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Thanks for the positive feedback on the last chapter, Cat Fights Back, it was a labor of love for me so was thrilled to death that I had you all crying and in shock. Your sweet reviews made my week and I appreciate them .

Now things and the summer are slowly winding down in Seattle ..to the story.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Victorious , Icarly, or even Zoey 101 .

" Hey sleeping beauty , " joked Sam with a laugh to dispel the tension and the fear in her voice as Carly woke up," how do you feel ?"

Carly rubbed her eyes, which were red rimmed and puffy from crying and looked embarrassed at her best friend ." Exhausted , mortified, horrified , like a horrible , bad person " answered Carly , managing a tired smile ," do you hate me ?"

" No," answered Sam , making a noise under her breath," I could never hate you. I just don't get how you could go through all that chizz and not tell me , Carls, I mean, its not like I wouldn't listen to you or anything ."

" I don't know , Sam, I don't ," Carly bit her lip ,hating to go through it again but knowing she owed it to her best friend ," I thought I was being mature about Brad moving away . I didn't want to go through the whole long distance thing like I did with Stephen before …so I told myself I possibly couldn't be in love with Brad so it couldn't be true ."

" You never acted like it was love , I thought it was another one of your crushes "

" So did I but I lied to myself about that , Sam, " Her voice was hoarse and sad ," when he told me that he was in love with me, things just happened . It wasn't the fairytale dream I envisioned or even close to it then I regretted it immediately and Brad …he wasn't the guy I thought he was . He was such an..an asshole ….and things just got worse from there but you and Freddie had just gotten back together . I couldn't tell you…..and then when Robbie called to chat with Freddie , he was so sweet and thoughtful and something just clicked inside me and I think I just lost it for a while …"

" You thought turning into the bad girl and making the geek your new honey would make things better ?"

Her smile was wan and filled with regret ." Pretty much but I only hurt people that I care for and God, I made such a fool out of myself , Sam ! "

She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head ." I thought Cat was going to kill me ! Seriously, that girl is scary ! "

" I had your back so it would have been fine ," Sam squeezed her hand and gave her a reassuring smile ," and you could look at it like this, Jade said she has been after Cat for like months to stand up for herself and she finally did because you went after her man. So you actually did a good thing here , Carly …"

" Sam, I doubt that they see it that way though ," pointed out a wry Carly ," I tried to seduce Robbie on more than one occasion . Can we burn that skanky , hideous dress that I bought ? I don't know what I was thinking …."

" Burning can be fun ," agreed Sam, moving to the closet where the glittery dress hung haphazardly on a hanger ," you should probably do the honors since it will make you feel better ."

" Where are Freddie and Gibby ?" asked Carly , curiously .She was a bit afraid that she had made her two best guy friends lose all respect for her after her behavior .

" Freddie is downstairs making you soup and Gibby went to buy you ice cream ," answered Sam, yanking the seam of the dress and finding delight in the ripping sound it made before she tossed it to her friend ," we haven't told Spencer what happened …."

" Oh good " Carly breathed a sigh of relief ," I cant handle my brother knowing about what I did ….he'd kill me and Brad ."

" For the record, I think you need to tell Spencer " spoke up Freddie as he entered the room carrying a tray filled with soup and sandwiches ," I think he would be more understanding that you think, Carly ."

" He would be even more disappointed in me than what he already is , Freddie, and I cant tell him that I did you know what with Brad ! " said Carly , as she took a drink of the lemonade that he brought her as Sam stole a sandwich off of her plate to munch on .

" I wouldn't be able to look him in the eye ! You know how Spencer gets ! I can't do it and please, I beg of you guys , don't say a word about it to him either ! "

" Spencer is sleeping with Trina ," pointed out Sam, between bites," I don't think he'd be calling bells black or anything over it, Carly ."

" It's a kettle not a bell, Sam," pointed out an exasperated Carly ," and I don't want him to know . Not after I already acted like a childish brat over him loving Trina …. I'm not going to do that anymore . Promise me, guys ?"

Sam and Freddie shared conflicting expressions but both nodded , afraid she was too fragile right now and not wanting to add to her fears anymore even if they disagreed .

" Fine "

" Sure "

" I'm sorry I acted like such a jerk to you guys ," apologized Carly, remorse in her tone ," I had my life all tied up to Robbie so I just pushed you guys out to try to get him anyway that I could . How pathetic am I ? I need to do a lot of groveling and apologizing to Cat and Robbie ….I owe them a sincere apology rather than my mental breakdown I had last night ."

" I know that they will appreciate that " added Freddie , quietly .

" So, if you want to talk more about everything , I'm not going anywhere "

" Maybe later , Sam," said Carly , meeting her friends eyes with a slight smile ," besides being exhausted , I actually feel better than I have in months ."

She took a bite of soup." I'm going to eat this soup then get a shower and make myself look less gross and more like me but when Gibby comes back, could you tell him that I'd like to talk to him ."

" You want to talk to Gibby ?" repeated Sam, a sly remark on the edge of her tongue but her boyfriend shot her a warning look so she kept it to herself .

" He was really great and I just want to ..talk to him " muttered Carly, taking another bite of soup and hiding her gaze from her best friends. She wasn't sure why it was so important that she speak to Gibby but it really felt like it was necessary .

" Sure " Sam gave her a hug ," and I'll go get some lighter fluid '

Carly laughed ," Maybe we should burn those awful high heels too ."

" I thought they were hot …" trailed off Freddie as Sam hit him in the stomach," ow! "

" I'm not going to wear hooker heels for you " remarked Sam and Carly could hear the couple arguing over the high heels comment as they left her by herself to think.

It was a new day, she had put the bad girl away for good , and she was ready to start repairing the mess she had made and hope when it was over that , she still had some of her friends left . Carly blew out a breathe, stared at her reflection in the mirror and found herself staring back at her -perky ,slightly less flirty Carly Shay and decided that she was okay with that person .

She pulled out a pair of shorts and a red penny tee, hoping it would give her confidence and then she headed downstairs for a long, hot bubble bath and an escape then she would be ready to face the music .

It was going to be a long, long day but she deserved it .

******************************HAF***************** *********************

While the Icarlies were helping Carly at the Bushwell, the Hollywood Arts gang had decided to meet in the enclosed area of Beck and Jade's hotel that held the large swimming pool and hot tub to just hang out and relax from the ordeal of the night before they all headed towards the theatre for the first official performance of Love's Lament that evening . Since it was relatively early in the morning, the teenagers had the run of the pool as the other guests lingered over the free breakfast or sipped their coffee and studied the paper before rushing off to whatever plans they had while visiting Seattle .

Beck and Jade sat together in the bubbling water , relaxing , while Andre helped Tori into the hot tub and they sat together near the couple . Robbie and Cat sat on the edge of the ledge , dangling their feet in the really hot water, and enjoying being together .

" So it turns out that Carly's boyfriend Brad was a total scumbag who tricked and hurt her before his family moved out of town ," explained Cat, resting her head against her boyfriends shoulder ," he used her so when she met Robbie , she noticed how sweet and thoughtful my fella is, and decided he would make her life better ."

" That is so sad " muttered Tori, as one of the jets rippled against the side of her hips," this water is really , really hot ! Your not trying to boil us like soup " She turned her attention back to the dark haired girl with a smirk ," Are you Jade ?'

Jade shrugged at her ." Don't be such a baby …"

" I know it's really horrible ," joined in Andre , slipping his arm around Tori and pressing a kiss against the side of her face ," but I still don't understand how all of that could turn the girl into a gank ? Carly is a nice person , except when she was putting the moves on Rob…."

Tori gaped at him." Didn't you hear the rest of the story ? She thought she was pregnant which would be terrifying ! Carly told Brad and he accused her of sleeping with Freddie ….."

" He did a real number on the girl ," added a thoughtful Jade ," even I felt bad for Carly . " She adjusted her bikini top slightly ," I don't even like her but I felt really bad for her . "

" That is a janked up mess ," Andre pulled his girlfriend closer to nuzzle her brown hair ," know wonder you all wanted to just hang out today …."

Beck lifted his gaze to Cat , who was smiling lovingly at Robbie, which was a nice thing to witness after all of their not talking and fighting they had been doing off and on since their arrival in Seattle . Things felt like it was back to normal for everyone .

" How are you doing, Cat ? Jade tells me you tried to attack Carly last night …"

Cat felt her face flush as red as her hair and pressed her face into Robbie's chest .

" I was defending my fella and our love ! I was fighting for Robbie ! I might have ..maybe gone a little bit overboard but I didn't actually hurt Carly ," says a mortified Cat ," she wasn't fighting me anyways ! I did what I should have done when we first got here "

" When you say that you fought for Robbie, Lil Red, what exactly does that mean ?" asked Andre, wanting clarification. Jade and Tori had both sworn that Cat had a tiny violent streak in her where Robbie was concerned but he just couldn't believe it .

Cat was the gentlest girl that he knew .

Tori splashed him with water ." Did you listen to us yesterday at all, Andre ? Cat likes to throw things ! I told you that ..at least three times ! "

" You were a little hysterical, baby ," Andre tried to placate her ," you get that way when you get freaked out so I might have tuned some of that out …."

" I was not ! "

" Your really hot when your being nosy and freaking, Tori " Andre kissed her , swiftly .

Beck and Robbie chuckled , earning them a look from Jade and Cat , which they ignored .

" I was being serious about Cat ," defended Tori, huffily then relaxed against his chest ," she may be small but she is one scrappy fighter ."

" I couldn't be more proud " sighed Jade , sending her best friend a warm smile .

" Thanks , Jade ," says Cat , interrupting their bickering ," I was just fighting for my man , Andre . I might have hit her shoulder once or twice but I had to let her know she couldn't have my Robbie without a fight and I felt so bad when she broke down ."

" Isn't my gal the best ?" Robbie dropped a kiss across Cat's mouth ," I love her ."

" I love you too, Robbie " Cat slid closer to him," are you done destroying Brad yet on the internet ? I want to swim before we go get breakfast ….."

Robbie finished typing then placed his pear pad inside his girlfriends beach bag .

" My part in helping to teach that lying dirt bag a lesson is finished ," explained Robbie , putting his arm around Cat 's shoulder ," the rest is up to Freddie and possibly Sinjin . "

Beck arched a brow ." How does Sinjin fit into this ?"

" Oh, when I was taking Cat back to the hotel last night, we stopped for coffee first ," explained Robbie ," we ran into Sinjin and Burf . I might have mentioned something about what Brad had done to Carly in conversation so he offered to help me and Freddie …but I don't know what that means either ."

" Sinjin thinks Carly is nice " added Cat , leaning closer to Robbie for a sweet kiss .

" So, what'd you do, Rob ? Hack the dudes Splash face page or what ?" guessed Andre .

Robbie colored then nodded ." I know it was wrong of me but any kind of man wouldn't take advantage of a nice girl or treat any girl the way he did Carly . Freddie and I felt our hacking was , uh, justified ."

" Yea, Puckett and I were going to give him a beat down but Sam didn't want to upset Carly anymore than she already was ," contributed Jade , wishing she had more coffee and glancing out the glass screened atrium as if expecting to see her father walk into the lobby ," besides the dude is like a whole road trip away and I didn't want to miss opening night of my play."

Beck slid his hands to her waist beneath the water and dropped a kiss to her shoulder .

" Wise idea, babe ."

" It's been a crazy summer ," Tori beamed up at Andre , content that they were good in the relationship department ," I can't believe tonight is opening night at the festival . I actually think I'm more nervous about my part , Jade, than you are about the whole thing ."

Jade let out an amused laugh ." You've got Ana down, Vega , " said Jade in a rare mood to give an actual compliment ," you'll be fine ." She hesitated , caught Beck's eye and managed a half smile ," I'm actually bugging over tonight ..my future is riding on our performance in Love's Lament ."

" We will blow the competition out of the water with your play ," reassured Beck, believing in her incredible talent and her dream," I've no worries …."

" It is kind of cool that Devin Massey loved my play," admitted Jade of the Broadway producer ," but its not a damn musical. I would kill for it to be on Broadway but I worked my butt off on that play and I don't want to turn it into something totally cheesy either ."

" Maybe he'll change his mind about wanting it to be a musical " offered Tori, helpfully .

" I don't know ….I need more coffee , Beck " implored Jade , fixing him with a knowing look ," will you please go get me some more coffee ?"

Beck sighed ," We should have had them bring us coffee to the pool ."

" Poolside coffee service would be cool " agreed Jade , dreamily of her java fix . She just wasn't herself without her five cups of coffee in the morning .

Beck sighed and stepped out of the pool, reaching for a towel . " Maybe instead of me just getting coffee we should all go eat the free breakfast buffet ?"

" Free is good " agreed Andre , hopping out of the hot tub to join his friend ," besides my skin is getting all wrinkly now . I don't like to be wrinkly …."

" I noticed that they had coffee and orange juice " said Robbie , wanting to join them.

" Robbie ! We haven't even got in the pool yet ! " pouted Cat, her eyes fluttering at him.

" Technically, the hot tub isn't swimming " replied Robbie , a mischievous gleam appearing in his eyes as he reached for Cat and scooped her up in his arms," But we can swim if you want to swim , sweetheart ."

" Robbie , what are you doing ?" Cat reached up to put her arms around his neck as he took long strides to the empty pool, " don't you dare throw me in ! "

He tossed his glasses on top of the nearest chair and then in one long stride jumped into the shallow end of the pool , amidst Cat's screaming and giggling, as he dunked them both underneath the cool water , as their friends laughed at their silliness .

" Good one, Rob " called Andre , amused and glancing at Tori , an idea forming in his own mind .

" Robbie ! " Cat spluttered , spitting out water and pushing her red hair out of her face and swimming towards her boyfriend who's dark curls were plastered against his forehead ," ooooh that was cold but fun ! "

He pushed his hair back and slid his arms around her waist ." Thought we could use some of the fun "

Cat giggled ," Now I get to dunk you "

Robbie grabbed her waist and spun her around as she tried to dunk him, both of them , laughing and enjoying each other while their friends looked at them from the hot tub.

" You can try, my heart " teased Robbie , swimming away from her as she jumped on his back and proceeded to dunk her boyfriend that way .

" Glad those two crazy kids are back to normal " remarked Beck, knowing he had zero chance of getting Jade out of the hot tub and even a nonexistent chance of dunking her .

She didn't mind swimming or getting wet but playing around like Cat and Robbie were doing wasn't her thing unless she wanted to drown you or play dirty .

It was still much too early in the morning for that and he had put product in his hair .

" I should go get that coffee now …"

" I am dying in this water ! Jade , how can you stand the heat ? I don't think I can do this anymore ! " Tori climbed out of the hot tub , fanning herself with her hand ," sweating in the hot water isn't enjoyable and you hate to sweat !"

Jade sighed , disgusted ." You cant stand the heat , Tori , and this is nothing ."

Andre grinned , grabbed Tori around the waist ,and then with a flying leap and a yell of triumph , he dove into the deep end of the pool with her , sending them both underwater and splashing water out of the pool and on Cat and Robbie as well.

Tori reemerged from the water and glared at him. " Dre ! I didn't want dunked !"

He chuckled and treaded water , looking for the nearest route of escape because he knew he was in for it now . No way she was letting this pass and that was alright with him.

" You said you were hot, baby , so I was cooling you down "

" Andre , I'll cool you down " Announced Tori, swimming after him as he dove underwater trying to escape her but she was a strong swimmer to and dove right after him.

Beck cocked his head at his girlfriend who was smirking at their friends as she relaxed in the bubbling water all by herself and couldn't help but think how lucky he was to have her .

" I don't want chlorine hair so don't think about it , Beckett," warned Jade , lazily ," let the idiots have their fun in the pool. Are you going to get me my coffee or am I going to have to push you into that pool myself ?"

" I know what to do " Beck blew her a kiss and she scowled at him in return as he grabbed a towel and headed towards the breakfast room for the coffee .

" Stop being sappy ! "

Smiling warmly at Jade , Beck headed to the breakfast room , waving at Mrs. West and Mikey as he poured his and Jade's coffee and hoped that Jade's father wouldn't disappoint her again.

Tonight was a big night for Jade and he wanted everything to work out for her .

******************************HAF***************** *********************

" Hey Spencer, I ran into Socko downstairs ," called out Gibby upon entering the apartment and finding his friend polishing his statue ," he gave me the keys to his van. You ready to load the big heart into it and take to the festival ?"

" Thanks, Gibby ," said Spencer , taking a drink of coffee and making a face ," this is awful ! Oh my God how do people drink this sludge ?"

Gibby peered at the new coffeemaker on the counter ." Your drinking coffee now ?"

" Trina loves coffee," explained Spencer , making a face and pulling the orange juice out of the fridge ," it's the drink of morning folks and uh, coffee drinking adults so I thought I would try the stuff ." He paused to chug down the juice ," I still hate it but I now have a coffeemaker for my girlfriend …."

" That's a cool thing for you to do for Trina ," acknowledged Gibby," I still can't believe she is going to be moving in with you, man. Lots of changes ….."

" Best bike accident ever " grinned Spencer , glancing at his phone ," I really hope her interview goes well , Gib. Trina knows more about those high heels than any woman I have ever known and she wants this opportunity really bad ."

" Then I'm sure Trina will get the modeling job " spoke up Carly, coming downstairs and glancing around the apartment ," where are Sam and Freddie ?"

" Freddie got an email from Robbie then took Sam out for breakfast " answered Spencer , noting that whatever had happened that no one was talking about to him that his sister looked like herself ," I didn't ask for details ."

" They bring me soup then go for breakfast " laughed Carly , amused and sent a shy smile towards Gibby who was looking at her with uncertainty ," sounds like normal to me . Spencer , do you mind if I speak with Gibby alone ?"

Spencer's gaze flicked from Carly to Gibby with natural curiosity then nodded.

" I'll just go to my room and look through my portfolio …" trailed Spencer, leaving them alone . He was dying of curiosity but held his tongue, figuring Gibby would spill later .

He could always count on his friend to keep him in the loop when his own sister was quiet .

Carly waited until she was positive that her brother wasn't listening at the door then sent a tentative smile towards Gibby who had tucked his hands in his pockets and staring at her .

" Would you rather have pancakes rather than soup ? " Gibby broke the silence between them," I'm not real good at this kind of thing but soup and ice cream is supposed to help according to High School …that's what Freddie and I read anyhow ."

" You read that silly stuff ?" asked Carly , perching on the chair by the kitchen counter.

" We didn't know how to help you ," admitted Gibby , his tone low ," I'm really sorry Brad treated you that way, Carly, or that you felt like we couldn't help you all of these months . I don't think bad of you or anything …..I get why you did why you did now ."

" You don't hate me for trying to break up Robbie and Cat ? Because honestly, I'm not real proud of myself for hurting them "

" Naw , you thought you were in love with him ," decided Gibby , understanding ," you aren't though. Right , Carly ? It was all because of how Brad hurt you….we don't have to hash this out again . You don't owe me any explanations or anything …"

Carly stood , found herself walking towards her, a question had been niggling at the back of her mind since his outburst at her and she had to know the reason behind it .

" Gibby, did you mean what you said to me ? I mean, I've never heard you sound like that before ," admitted Carly, hesitantly ," with the uh, strong opinions about me ..I just thought you were a Gibby."

His gaze was anything but just friends as he met her questioning eyes with a new intensity in his own . He was going to maybe take Cat's advice and test the waters for a change .

How was Carly to know that he had changed and matured if he didn't make her see it ?

Sometimes it felt like his friends only wanted to see him as Gibby who was weird and took his shirt off all of the time though it had been years since he had done that .

" I'm kind of tired of being just a Gibby ," confessed a serious Gibby, sounding more sure of himself than she had ever heard from him before ," you might not tell Sam that though because I don't want beat up again ."

Carly laughed to cut the tension between them. " I actually understand that now ."

" I meant everything I said to you, Carly ," continued Gibby ," I think you're wonderful just the way you are , Carly. You just pick the wrong guys but you cant help that ….and pretty , perky is you ..you ..well, I like you . I like that girl …."

Carly found herself blushing at his compliment and lifted her eyes to his , recognizing that the boy he had been had been replaced by a man . Much like Freddie had grown and changed , apparently so had Gibby and she had just never seen it until now .

" That's really nice of you , Gibby "

" Thank you for yelling at me earlier ," Carly leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek but he moved and her lips brushed the side of his mouth ," uh….. Thanks ."

Gibby colored red and smiled at her ." Anytime ."

Carly felt the slight tingling in her toes and tried to puzzle it out . " Gibby "

" You don't have to figure out everything today , Carly, or you'll just freak out ," replied Gibby, giving her an ' aw shucks ' look that had her smiling at him with a silly look ," uh, I should help Spencer get his booth set up before all of the art buyers show up ."

Spencer chose this moment to interrupt the moment between them , as he carried out several paintings he had done of Trina and couldn't help but to notice the new undercurrent he was picking up between his sister and Gibby .

" I'm going to show these pictures of Trina too ," announced Spencer ," I think I captured her beauty and life perfect though that may be the love talking …."

Carly hugged her brother ." I think that is the best painting you've ever done ."

" Thanks, kiddo ," said Spencer , relieved that life seemed to be returning to normal as far as he could tell," you want to ride with me and Gibby to set up my booth ?"

" No, you guys go on ," said Carly , sending a text to Sam," I have an apology errand to make . Maybe we can meet up later to talk more , Gibby ?"

" That would be good " agreed Gibby, thinking that maybe she finally saw him ," and we could go see Jade's play tonight . I bought us all tickets for it ..we have really good seats ."

" We'll see how things go after I apologize to Cat and Robbie " managed Carly .

" Is someone going to fill me in on what exactly happened last night or what ?"

" Just grab hold of the other end of the statue, Spencer, and I'll break it down to you on the way over there …" said Gibby as they carried the sculpture to the elevator and left , leaving Carly all alone with her thoughts .

Carly plopped down on the couch and touched her lips that had just grazed Gibby's and felt the slight buzz from the kiss . Who knew that an accidental kiss ..it hadn't even been a real kiss , it might have been a partial kiss would have her pondering him as something real. The idea of her and Gibby still sounded nuts but not so much as it had as before .

She had changed and so had Gibby .

He had always liked her but maybe it couldn't hurt to consider him as a real guy ?

She didn't want a boyfriend right now especially after she was finally dealing with what had happened between her and Brad but testing the waters between her and Gibby wouldn't hurt anyone or anything . Could it ?

He was the last guy she would ever date so maybe that thought had been a mistake ?

Carly helped herself to a cup of coffee, making a face . " Gross "

Maybe she didn't need to be having feelings until she begged for forgiveness from Robbie and Cat. That was her first priority and once Tori texted her back ( she hoped the Vega girl would answer her ) she would track the couple down and do things the right way.

She owed them that much after what she had did to their relationship .

********************************HAF*************** *********************

" Morning "

Cat lifted her brown eyes from Robbie to find Carly standing sheepishly in front of them . She and Robbie were sitting together on the lounge chair after swimming, a pink towel around her shoulders, and his arms around her waist as they snuggled together .

The others had taken off for breakfast and Beck and Andre had gotten roped into a pancake eating contest with Jade's brother while Mrs. West went upstairs to make a phone call . She and Robbie had taken advantage of the fact to have some quality alone time which they had sorely been lacking on this vacation adventure .

" Carly "

" I understand if you don't want to speak to me ," rushed in Carly , afraid if she didn't do this now she would chicken out and never make it right ," you have every right to hate me but if you would just let me speak, I would appreciate it ."

Robbie rubbed Cat's shoulders and felt her lean into him. " We're listening "

Carly moved in front of them and was grateful their friends weren't around and that she had talked Sam and Freddie out of coming with her . She had created this mess and she needed to fix it without their help , even though she felt sick in the stomach.

" I wont hit you again " offered Cat with a tiny smile at the brunette.

" You had every right to want to beat me up, Cat ," plunged on Carly, coming clean to the couple ," I know you heard my breakdown last night but that still didn't make what I did to you two right . I might have lost my mind a lot but I knew what I was doing ..I wanted Robbie and I did a lot of wrong things to get him to notice me back ."

" It wasn't all your fault ," added Robbie , feeling his guilt rear its head ," I did enjoy the attention which I shouldn't have . Cat and I were fighting and you being into me was good for my ego …and Cat is the girl for me . She has my heart ….."

Cat smiled lovingly at her boyfriend and kissed his arm. " We're stronger now ."

" That is really sweet , guys, but I was a gank ," went on Carly , meeting Cat's honest gaze ," I made up a lot of chizz that caused you to fight because I wanted Robbie . I was wrong and a horrible person to you both and I am so incredibly sorry for everything I did to the both of you. I should have never tried anything ….and I kissed Robbie, Cat ."

" He never kissed me back ! He loves you and I was an idiot not to see it ! "

" I know , Carly, " says an understanding Cat, sending the nervous girl a soft smile ," Robbie and I talked about all of this . I'm sorry I tried to beat you up …and I'm really sorry your ex-boyfriend was a skunk bag to you. No girl deserves to be treated that way …it wasn't your fault that you loved him ."

" My judgment isn't the best these days about guys but I knew what I was doing ," barreled on Carly, wanting them to yell or scream at her ," I was wrong . You shouldn't be nice to me, Cat ! I don't deserve your niceness after trying to take your guy from you "

" I think I hit you pretty hard yesterday ," muttered Cat , with a sympathetic smile ," I'm good . I don't need to hate your guts anymore and Robbie and I are good ,Carly ."

" Robbie , you must hate me after the way I threw myself at you ! Even after you kept telling me how you loved Cat and I just ignored you ! "

" Hate is a really strong word, Carly ," replied a patient Robbie ," and I was angry with you for causing problems between me and Cat in the first place but it wasn't just you. I do appreciate your apology ..Cat and I both do …"

" We forgive you ," chimed in Cat ," and after that bad chizz you had with your ex-honey, of course you would think you would love my Robbie ! He's the sweetest fella ever and you were just really messed up and confused …."

Carly sank down in a chair across from them, dejected ." You guys are being too nice to me ! Can't you hate me for what I did to you ? Please ?"

" I've hated you most of our vacation but its really tiring and not healthy so I don't want to hate you anymore ," explained Cat who had given the situation much thought ," you shouldn't feel bad about yourself either . The bad stuff is over now so you can just live life and have fun like your supposed to, Carly ."

Robbie pressed a kiss against Cat's red hair ." I happen to agree with my gal "

Carly couldn't help but smile gratefully at them . " Thanks, you two, I don't deserve your forgiveness but I appreciate it though I wish someone would hate me ."

" Don't worry, Shay," remarked Jade , brusquely ," I hate you still …feel better ?"

Carly gulped down the tiny bit of fear the Goth brought out in her ." Actually, Jade , it does since Robbie and Cat accepted my hundred apologies and barely allowed me to grovel and beg for their forgiveness ."

" If that wouldn't bore me , I'd be up for some groveling but its early "

" Thanks ," Carly heaved a sigh ," now I've got to go try to get to know Trina and apologize for acting like a little brat to her ."

They all shared a knowing smile and laughed together at the irony of that statement .

" Get video " requested Jade with a sneer , as she handed Cat a orange juice .

Cat giggled and even Robbie chuckled while Jade just full out laughed .

" What is so darn funny about that ? I don't understand you people " muttered Carly, under her breath . She didn't see how apologizing to Trina could be humorous .

" Brat apologizing to another brat " muttered Jade," that's hilarious ."

" I'm not a brat ," murmured Carly then acknowledged her behavior she had been apologizing and realized she had been indeed ," so I deserved that . I am sorry once more and I am just going to leave you alone to laugh at me while I find Trina ."


End file.
